10 Best Tips for Getting Back to Words After Maternity Leave

Returning to work after maternity leave is an important step for mothers. This marks the start of a new chapter, mixing the responsibilities of parenthood with professional life. This transition, however, comes with its own set of challenges and emotions.

Why is it so difficult to return from maternity leave?

As new mothers, you may be feeling a sense of exhaustion and uncertainty about how to return to work at full capacity after maternity leave. The process of returning to work may become difficult as you would have formed an emotional bond with your baby during this time off, making it difficult to leave and return to the office.

Emotions you may feel and how to deal with them

It’s normal to feel a mix of emotions of excitement, fear, and apprehension as you plan for this transition. Feelings of guilt, anxiety and the pressure to balance work and family responsibilities also contribute to the complexity of this transition. However, there is hope in knowing that there are ways to manage and transition smoothly into this phase of life after maternity leave.

What should I know before returning?

According to a 2022 study (Costantini Arianna, et al), returning to work after maternity leave can be less emotionally taxing if you have the right social support from people you trust. which also leads to better concentration when returning to work.

It is therefore important to understand and manage these emotions at the right time, identify and strengthen your support systems and be well prepared before returning to full-time work.

10 tips for returning to work after maternity leave

Let’s look at some tips to make the transition to work after maternity leave smoother for you:

Understand your “why”

Before becoming a parent, you would have actively decided and chosen a job/career for a particular reason (e.g., out of interest or necessity). It may be helpful to remind yourself of this reason: What made you say “yes” to your current role? What makes you want to return to work now? For example, returning to work after maternity leave can help with financial security, build confidence and self-image, provide intellectual stimulation, gain skills and raises in future years that you might have missed if you stayed at home, and many more. . So it can help boost your motivation and preparation by thinking about it.

Plan

Organizing your return well in advance involves creating a schedule that accommodates both work and family responsibilities, planning for childcare, and making sure you have a reliable support system (or take the time to identify and develop the resources and support you may need). before and during your return to work. If possible, you might also consider a gradual return to work, starting with part-time hours or shorter workdays to help you adjust gradually.

Stay connected while on vacation

You may be apprehensive about how to catch up with all the changes and pending work that might have arisen during your leave, which would continue to keep you in a state of uncertainty and fear. However, it can be helpful to stay in touch with people at your workplace during maternity leave itself. For example, staying informed of changes and updates, maintaining connections with colleagues in some form to ease your return to the office, or having a checklist of tasks or updates you would like to know about immediately. time back to work.

Update your skills

Try to refresh your professional skills and knowledge during your maternity leave to stay informed about your industry and build your confidence by learning new skills or refamiliarizing yourself with the skills/knowledge you already have. For example, attending workshops, online courses or industry events, or connecting with colleagues or friends who can guide you on this.

Open communication

When returning to work, even if you are ready to gradually return to full work capacity, challenges may arise once you return to work. Therefore, it may be helpful to communicate openly with your employer/manager about your needs, expectations and challenges, if any, or even discuss flexible working arrangements and any other adjustments if you notice difficulty balancing responsibilities when you return to work.

Reframe your mindset

While it can certainly be difficult to handle the responsibilities of a “working mom,” it helps to remember how lucky you are to be one! Gratitude has a positive influence on happiness, which you can read about here. This also means that your choice of words matters most when talking to yourself or thinking about a situation/event.

Therefore, it may help to stop thinking about the things you to have do as a working mother and reframe these thoughts as things you get TO DO. For example, if you say that you “have” to leave work early to feed your child, this is phrased negatively, whereas if you say that you “have” to come home early to feed your child, the same situation is automatically perceived with more gratitude. This reframing technique can be time-consuming, but experimenting with it can help you determine whether or not it’s useful.

Reconnect and build relationships with colleagues

For some, the role of a new mother can be quite isolating, as juggling responsibilities (which may still be quite new to you) can drain your energy and free time, making it difficult to attend social events (at work Or other). But it might be worth starting to rebuild relationships with your colleagues now. For example, having lunch or coffee with a colleague, taking a walk or taking breaks to communicate with work colleagues, even for a few minutes a day.

More than just filling time or checking the “social” box, these relationships can be important sources of professional support. When you are friendly with your colleagues, they are more likely to help you when you are unavailable or facing an emergency, to support you in delegating your tasks if necessary, and they are also more likely to include yourself in important projects that can advance your career. and give you visibility for your efforts. Trying to achieve this can ease the tension of returning to work after maternity leave and can help you make room for more in your life while being a great parent!

Set realistic goals

Set realistic and achievable goals at home and at work. For example, ideally you may want to take care of household chores and your child every day, but a gentler, more realistic expectation would be to do it a few days a week while having additional support to manage the other days. Managing your expectations and being kind to yourself is extremely important. After all, you are human and after a long period away from professional life, it would not be fair to expect you to perform at 100% of your capabilities or efficiency. Manage expectations and be kind to yourself as you return to your professional role.

Set clear boundaries

It’s inevitable that you will sometimes feel torn between the demands and expectations at home and at work, but it’s important to remember that we can’t do it all. It would be helpful to set boundaries with your partner, colleagues and managers.

To do this, first think about what matters most to you. For example, you would prefer not to work weekends but be available for a few hours in the evening after your child is asleep, or discuss a routine with your partner where you clearly identify days when you would need your partner’s support and in what specific ways.

Once you have identified these boundaries, it is important to communicate them directly. It can sometimes be awkward to have a conversation like this, but these awkward conversations actually prevent more stress, frustration, and burnout. Communicating also ensures that even if people don’t consistently respect your boundaries, at least they won’t be blindsided when you share/remind them what your boundaries are.

Celebrate achievements and continue to prioritize self-care

Prioritizing your self-care and emotional well-being by taking care of yourself is important to renew your energy and motivation to continue managing the demands of work and motherhood. It’s also important to recognize if you tend to constantly strive for more without appreciating how far you’ve come. If so, try to consciously start appreciating even the smallest victories at this time, when you return to work after your maternity leave.

Recognizing progress triggers the brain’s reward circuitry and motivates people to continue working toward their goals. Some ways to do this include keeping a daily work journal in which you write down some of your accomplishments or “wins” from the day (like having coffee with a colleague, being able to ask for help when you need it, or just get help). through the day itself!) Especially on difficult days, looking back at writings from the past few days/weeks can bring you comfort and solace, and remind you of your resilience during this transformative time.

Dos and don’ts of returning to work after maternity leave:

To do :

• Communicate openly with your employer about your needs and expectations.
• Seek support from your colleagues and family.
• Prioritize self-care and well-being.
• Establish a flexible routine that accommodates both work and family commitments.

Not to do :

• Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be perfect.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help or delegate tasks.
• Don’t neglect your own needs and self-care.
• Don’t compare yourself to others; Everyone’s journey is unique.

Conclusion

Returning to work after maternity leave is undoubtedly a significant life transition, but with thoughtful planning and self-care, it can be a rewarding experience. By staying well prepared, managing your emotions and implementing practical tips, you can successfully navigate this important phase and find balance between your professional and personal lives, while celebrating how wonderfully unique, determined and resilient !