Returning to work after maternity leave feels like a huge transition for many women…because it IS a huge transition!
Motherhood is wonderful: deep, fundamental love, pride and joy and new communities.
And it's tough…times of monotonous grind, isolation, juggling logistics and mental labour that often goes unnoticed and unappreciated.
Returning to work can therefore bring mixed feelings. There can be relief and joy at the thoughts of feeling like a grown adult woman for hours in a row again - not only a mum, partner and housekeeper.
Work can bring mental stimulation and a sense of contributing to a wider world outside of your family. Satisfaction at regaining parts of your old self again.
Traveling further afield than usual, grown-up conversations, full cups of hot tea to drink without interruption and cracking on with progressing at work.
But going back to work can also bring waves of anxiety or overwhelm for many. Long maternity leaves are an incredible privilege and best for baby but they often lead to a feeling of ‘rustiness’ at work and imbalances in childcare and household chores.
This alongside the large identity shift that happens when women first become a mother - not to mention ingrained assumptions & expectations around gender roles - are often the root cause of overwhelm at going back to work.
Primary caregivers - often mums - can fall into the trap of working three full-time jobs: career, childcare and household - and feel stretched, very stretched.
Doubts about relevance at work can creep in and a sense of being torn between family and work and feeling not doing either well grows.
Return with Confidence
Wouldn’t it be fantastic to:
Have more time for yourself while still giving adequate time to work and family
Be crystal clear on what is - and importantly isn’t - a priority
Have language to use to clearly state your needs at work and at home
Feel engaged and present both at work and at home
Banish doubts and feel confident in your choices and decisions
Back to Work Coaching
In my Back to Work coaching sessions, my clients typically:
Uncover what is and isn’t a priority right now
Learn how to establish meaningful boundaries
Develop delegation and time management skills
Increase confidence in their abilities as a worker and a parent
Enhance their visibility at work through self-assured, clear communication
Develop a plan to enhance or build their ‘village’ to more smoothly navigate life as a working parent
Identify the best back-up childcare plan for when (not if!) your child gets sick
Banish mum guilt
Contact me to hear more, I’d love to support you in a smoother transition back to work