If you are returning to work after being on family medical leave during COVID and have not experienced working from home, you might experience different thoughts and feelings. How will it be to work virtually from home? How will I create home and work life balance? What if I don’t feel comfortable sending my infant or toddler back to daycare? How will I work fulltime from home while caring for an infant?
I personally am feeling overwhelmed, guilt, stress, anxiety, sadness, grief. These are all appropriate thoughts and feelings you may experience returning to work after being on medical leave during COVID and you are not alone.
Tips to help with the adjustment of returning to work during COVID.
- Be patient with yourself. It may take some time to adjust going to work virtually when the last time you worked was before the pandemic.
- Talk to your support system about how you are feeling, you do not have to go through this alone.
- Identify the coping skills that work best for you and have them readily available before you start working.
- Be kind to yourself without judgement.
- Take a lunch break to fuel your body and rest.
- Schedule time for a walk to move your body and get fresh air. Identify what self-care looks like for you.
- Create daily routine.
- Pick a time you will stop working. Turn on a timer and end work when the timer goes off.
If you continue to have a challenging time adjusting back to working during COVID, contact a professional for support. JFCS is offering daily Drop-In hours if you need a one-time consultation with one of our counselors. We are also accepting new clients for ongoing counseling, currently provided through teletherapy. Call us at 609-987-8100.
You do not have to go through this alone!
Mara Myerson, LCSW, LCADC
