I’ll be normal again soon, but I’m not sure if that’s a good thing.

I finished marking exams today and even managed to figure out all the final marks. This means I have a chance to fall back into normal rhythms for a while, at least until I have more free time and that’s when things fall apart. Granted, part of that “free time” will be served under a de facto house arrest where the company I work for forces me to work at home because there’s no work for me to do.

The trouble is, that for a few days after I finish marking, I enter an anxious period where I feel as if I should be doing something and that keeps me from relaxing. Oddly, during those periods, I can manage to waste time in a way that’s not even fun. I’d actually feel better about it if I just wasted the time playing games. Instead, the time is just wasted.

Eventually, I settle down and start taking advantage of all the extra time. The trick this time around is to keep the extra time from being filled with planning how to fill the extra time.

That’s not always the case, though.