I remember once through the course of an usual evening conversation with my mom, I popped out this question “how did you feel when you resumed work after your maternity break?”. I was quite struck to this question since my sister who gave birth some time ago quit her job forever after she tried resuming work. When I asked her the reason she said “Somehow I have got adapted to a different schedule and now going back seems very difficult. Also there is too much pressure for me to manage at home and at work. So I just choose to take up one task at a time”.
However, mother resumed working within 2 months of giving birth to me, and that made me feel confused. she said ”I felt just like I felt on the first day I ever stepped to work. Exciting, happy and of course a little nervous. But I knew I love to work so I gradually learnt to balance work and home”.
Resuming work after maternity break or for that fact any significant long break can be a stressful. Humans somehow get used to a particular psychological and physical routine. Bringing a change to your physical routine is difficult but easier when compared to psychologically settling down with the new routine.
Even women who have worked most of their life find it difficult to gather up self to face the first day of resuming work. So here you have few simple tips to help you get back to work in full spirit.
- Do a dry run – If you are feeling very nervous about getting adapted to the new schedule all of a sudden, then start trying out in advance. Run through all your chores and activities based on how your new schedule is going to be a few days before you actually resume work. This will help you from facing the shock of a sudden change.
- Try to ease in the middle – Starting off to work straight 40 hours a week from being at home can be very difficult. Try to start from the middle of the week. This will give you some buffer time to get adjusted to working. Also for those leaving their baby at home for the first time, this will be a blessing as a whole week of working can make you feel too separated from your little one.
- Learn to say no – Sometimes you might badly want to go home for you might have some other work pending. Do not exert yourself at work, take priority all the time. Say no if you feel you need to do something more important than staying back late at work.
- Brainstorm your baby care choices – for those resuming post maternity, it is going to be difficult to leave your baby at home or at the day care centre. Rather than spending your time in office thinking if your baby is comfortable at the day care, make sure you look closer into the details before putting your kid in a particular day care. This will help you concentrate on your work better.
All you need to know is, it is going to take time and effort to adjust to your new schedule. Remember there is nothing in this world that is more powerful than your confidence. So step forward with complete confidence and put your best into your work. You can never fail if you try enough.