Heading back to work after maternity leave can be a daunting task and finding a work balance that works for your family can take some time, however, it may not be as doom and gloom as possible. I recently had Nicole share a guest post on things to look forward to when returning to work after maternity leave.
If you must head back to work though for financial reasons however, it can feel a little daunting and very overwhelming.
As well as trying to work out logistics of just making it work, you are likely to be feeling a huge amount of parenting guilt. When I returned to work after both times off with maternity leave the only comment I really got was “wow you are returning for a lot of hours”. It was a comment that really did not help me with my guilt at all. Yes, I was back almost full time, but how elsewhere we going to pay our bills and mortgage without the income?!
So, if you are heading back to work, here are my top tips for making sure you get the right work balance that works for you.
- Do a job you love – I know this is sometimes harder than it sounds however, you are going to likely spend a good chunk of your time at work. Enjoying the role, you will help make the time pass so much quicker and not feel like such a drag.
- Don’t be afraid to change from your normal – If you have always worked a normal 8 to 5 role but returning to work after having children means you change to a shift pattern as it works better for you, go ahead and do it! It is all about what works for you.
- Travel to get your dream role – Just because you are a parent does not mean you have to give up your dreams. If your dream role is being a PR in London, then go and do it! Season train tickets don’t have to be expensive and should childcare be an issue where you need to change your travel plans there is flexibility to do so. It takes away the headache of having to deal with this as you have already paid for your ticket in advance.
- Listen to your gut – As a parent, there is so much pressure put on us, not only around us in the form of family and friends, but also on social media and in the news. You are doing an amazing job as a parent and getting the balance that works for you is the only thing that matters. If that means you must return to work full time then so be it, but the same respect goes to those who walk away from their careers to focus on their family. After all, we are all only focusing on doing the best job for our family that we can do.
With lots of us having to work now, why not do something that you love whilst finding the right work balance for you.
This is a collaborative post