Returning to Work After Maternity Leave: How to Cope with Mental Challenges and Stress?

Written by: Merita Mehić Sokoljanin, CBT psychotherapist

Text taken from the portal: Marketing and Living

Returning to work after maternity leave is a complex process that women experience in different ways, and how one copes with this challenge depends largely on the work environment and working conditions, one's personality, and the support one has in the family.

Numerous studies show that women who return to work after maternity leave often experience increased levels of stress and anxiety. This is linked to the need to balance work and parenting responsibilities, often accompanied by a sense of guilt for leaving the child to go to work. Although experiences vary greatly, it most commonly happens that mothers have mixed feelings when returning from maternity leave. Faced with various challenges, they are often left to themselves and encounter a lack of understanding and support. Throughout this whole adjustment process, separation from the child with whom they have spent a great deal of time (in BiH up to one year) certainly represents an emotional burden.

Writes:

As they try to get back into the swing of numerous work obligations, striving to return to their work routine, many questions often cross their minds, such as: Has the baby gotten used to the aunt or the nursery? Is she crying? What has she eaten? Did she sleep? How are they looking after my child at the nursery? And when they are at home and have finished their maternal duties and found a little time for themselves, they face questions about work: Will I be able to manage all my tasks? How will my colleagues accept me at work? Have I forgotten how to work? Will I be able to cope with all of this? Will employers be understanding?

To adapt better to the new conditions of life and work, and to reduce the stress that will quite certainly arise, the following tips may be helpful:

Emotional preparation is the beginning

Emotional preparation can begin during maternity leave or just before starting work. It is important for each woman to follow her individual needs and feelings, and to work on her emotional state accordingly. The first step in emotional preparation is awareness and acceptance that feelings such as sadness, fear and guilt about leaving the child, excitement at returning to work duties, and anger when we are unable to meet them in this period will be more intense and often mixed.

It is important to know that these emotions are completely normal, and that we should accept them as part of the adjustment process. Although we can easily lose ourselves in them, know that these sudden changes in feeling are temporary, and that their intensity fades over time.

Plan and talk about support

Support from a partner and family is often taken for granted, but it is much better when it is clearly specified and well planned. The quality of support from a partner and family can greatly influence how a woman experiences returning to work. It is important that household chores and daily responsibilities are shared, that the partner is active and equally involved in doing them, and that he takes on responsibility in raising the child as a father.

Throughout all of this, open and honest communication with your partner is extremely important, about sharing duties and responsibilities, as well as about how you will emotionally cope with the challenges ahead of you.

Find out about work obligations in advance

Being informed about the job and the obligations awaiting us will greatly help with an easier adjustment. We often expect that we will return to where we left off, but it is realistic that much has changed during your absence and that you will need to update and catch up on a lot.

Ask about the plans for your return to work: What will it look like and what is expected of you? Discussing realistic expectations about returning to work will help you reduce your fears and plan your responsibilities realistically.

Ask your employer and colleagues for support in adjusting

Few employers have developed adjustment programs and HR specialists who will specifically help make the return to work go as smoothly as possible, but at the same time, few employers will fail to show understanding for reasonable requests that would ease your work, especially if you are a valuable and quality employee whom they count on in the long term.

So, don't be afraid to ask: Can you work from home on certain days? Can you start or finish 30 minutes earlier or later? What are the options for bringing the baby to work for breastfeeding? The worst that can happen is that you are told no, but you already have a NO if you don't ask. Also, don't hesitate to ask your colleagues to help you.

Let go of perfection and set clear boundaries

If you expect to be able to complete all the tasks you did at work before having your child, as well as all the duties you had during maternity leave, you will DEFINITELY burn out quickly! It is important to set realistic expectations about what you can manage, both at work and at home. Adjusting expectations to the new situation is key. You need to know that you don't have to be "perfect" either as a mother or as an employee. That is why it is very important to know how to set boundaries for yourself as well as for others.

Take care of yourself and your personal time

Remember that this is the fuel you need for your job and your role as a mother. If you keep trying to get everything done without time for yourself and rest, you will surely soon start to feel the consequences in the form of fatigue, difficulty focusing and concentrating, increased irritability, and lowered mood and motivation. So, create different periods in your day that are just for you. This can be a walk, a lunch break, time for coffee before or after work, meeting friends, a massage, or even shopping if it gives you pleasure.

Be gentle with yourself and patient. Returning to work after maternity leave is a complex process that requires emotional and practical adjustment. Although it is challenging to balance parental responsibilities and professional tasks, with the right approach and strategies, it is possible to reduce stress and anxiety. Key points for a successful return include emotional preparation, understanding your limits and expectations, and building support within the family and at work.

Communication with your partner, setting realistic goals and boundaries, and taking care of yourself can significantly ease the adaptation process. Every woman should be patient with herself, accept sudden changes in emotions, and ask for help when needed. Ultimately, returning to work is an opportunity to create a new balance between professional and private life, and through careful planning and support, this period can become an important step in personal and professional growth.

***