I know exactly where you're coming from -
I went from a nice 3 bedroom house to an apartment and me having to work full time (a 9 hour day) after losing my husband to a terminal illness.....
I don't know what I'd do without my job but life turned upside down for me when he died.....
it's a big adjustment no matter how you look at it - many non dog people dont understand it but even after 2-1.2 years of me working full time - my 2 girls still are NOT used to it. They don't eat or drink when I'm not here and just wait by the door all day.....(my son lived with me for a while and told me all this)
Keep showing them lots of attention and eventually they'll understand you are coming back but some adjust faster than others.....mine are not in that catagory unfortunatly