A lot has been written about making the most of your maternity leave but few really talk about what it’s like to adjust to getting back in the groove of working again after months away.
Missing a newborn is not an easy thing to ignore. It can easily shift your focus when you should be concentrating your energy on reprogramming your mind and body to being productive at work.
How do you cope when you just can’t seem to get that momentum back? Here are five things you could try.
1. Role-play
A week or two weeks before you have to go back to work, try leaving your child with your partner or nanny for a few hours each day.
Lock yourself in a room and do an activity that requires focus such as reading.
Get yourself acclimated to being away from your baby. This may be easier said than done but at the end of your maternity leave, you’ll see that it somehow eases your separation anxiety.
2. It’s all about routine
The few weeks after birth can be chaotic at best. When once your day involved answering e-mails or rushing to meetings, your schedule suddenly revolves around a tiny person in need of your love and attention.
Make a schedule and stick to it. This helps to reorganize your brain and declutter your day to focus on activity similar to what you would be doing if you’re at work.
More postpartum coping tips on the next page
3. Have a good care situation in place
It goes without saying that you should only leave your child with someone you would trust with your own life. Whether it is your partner, parent, or a nanny, having a good caring system in place helps build your confidence to leave for work and actually perform well.
4. Get updates throughout the day
Having a good care system in places helps you make sure that these updates are consistent but not constant. Schedule them and try to control the amount of time you spend checking up on them.
photo: dreamstime
5. Focus on the bigger picture
When thoughts of missing your baby enter your head in the middle of your workday, think of the real reason why you’re working. Remind yourself who you are doing it for. Going back to work is not selfish.
Having a good job allows you to care for them, too. It’s securing their future and making sure that they have a parent who finds fulfilment, whether it is in pursuit of a career or staying at home with them.
If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them with us!