Returning to work after maternity leave can result in a host of emotions to deal with and a range of issues to consider. Janice Haddon discusses the practicalities. When first returning to work, you may be glad of the change – the contrast between work and home life can help us feel fulfilled. For others, guilt can arise for having to leave your baby with someone else or not being able to spend the time you might want to at work. The key to finding a good balance is to understand how you feel.
Are you satisfied and happy or are there things that don’t feel right? For us to feel happy we have to get our essential needs met. When more than two or three of these needs reach levels of dissatisfaction we can start to feel low and depressed. So what are our essential needs, and how are they impacted when we have been off on maternity leave?
First of all, we need to feel safe – in our workplace and our environment. This translates as the need to feel confident that our job will still be there for us when we return to work, and that if there have been any changes in the workplace while we have been absent, we will be able to cope with them.
We need to feel in control – this isn’t about controlling others, but about feeling in control of ourselves and what is going on in our lives. When there is a new addition to the family, this little person has such overwhelming needs that this can lead to us feeling out of control. The routine and freedom we once took for granted has been taken over by the demands of a baby, and this can take some getting used to.
We also need privacy – time to integrate all that has gone on in the day and to relax. Taking time out for ourselves allows us to build up our energy levels. Without time to recharge and nurture yourself your energy levels will drop and your connection to others will suffer.
Then there’s having a sense of status and feeling valued – not about what level of job we do but about how we are acknowledged for what we do and the contribution we make. Work will provide this for you, but it is also important that your partner and close relatives appreciate all you do for them, your home and family.
Feeling competent and achieving things is vital to boosting our sense of self esteem. With all the additional demands that having children and balancing work can place on us, our time-management skills can be stretched to the limit. The key to this is getting organised and being able to meet the time pressures and demands that our life places on us. Make sure you set your goals appropriately and don’t over-stretch yourself.
Having mental stimulation and challenge and allowing for creativity is essential as well. Our brain is like a muscle – so use it or lose it. When you get back to work, allow yourself the appropriate amount of time to understand any changes to your job and get back into the swing of things.
The transition back to the workplace needs organisation and planning, the support of others, good time-management skills and letting go of any feelings of guilt. With a little person in your life things have now changed. You have to find a new way through the maze and seek out ways to get your essential needs met to create a happy and fulfilled life that is in perfect harmony.
Janice Haddon has more than 25 years’ experience in strategic and operational HR and management consultancy. Working across a range of business sectors, Janice is a qualified coach and has a passion for integrating performance, personal positivity and wellbeing into the workplace. Find out more at janicehaddon.com/transformational-leadership/
