Returning to work after maternity leave or an extended career break can be overwhelming. You feel anxious about whether you’ll achieve a healthy work-life balance or still have the right skills to succeed at work. How do you address these issues and thrive confidently when returning to work?
In this LinkedIn Live replay, Dipal explores how to confidently thrive on your return to work after maternity leave. Dipal is a return-to-work coach at Diva Coaching, focusing on helping women return to work and rebuild their confidence.
As a mum who returned to work in the corporate sector after maternity leave and experienced the same struggles, Dipal shares how you can find a work-life balance and eliminate the ‘mum guilt’ that you always need to be perfect and feel confident with your skillset, she dives deep into some of the best ways to reconnect with your colleagues and how employers or colleagues should support mothers returning to work.
Highlights From The Episode
[01:08] Dipal Shah’s background and what she does
[04:02] Dipal’s motivation in helping other women return to work
[06:42] Common experiences for people returning to work
[08:32] Finding work-life balance and being a present parent
[17:21] Feeling confident again with your skills and experience
[24:51] Best way to reconnect with your team, stakeholders, and colleagues when going back to work
[29:09] Advice on developing a 3-month plan before returning to work
[32:45] How employers and colleagues can support people coming back to work from maternity leave for a career break
[39:04] To connect with Dipal Shah
Notable Quotes
- Going back to work can be daunting, but you can make it work. It’s about lowering your expectations and being true to yourself and your goals.
- You have to manage your capacity, how much you can take on, and how much it will affect your mental well-being, because if you’re taking too much at work, you might be working more than usual.
- Whenever you can, and you have those odd good days, go to sleep. You feel more energised.
- Before going on maternity leave, find your support at work. Somebody you know will be there when you return and help you out.
- It’s about making the person feel comfortable again, not worthless, just because they are mums who can’t do it. Mums do a lot better.
- Don’t judge. Just because that person could do it doesn’t mean this person can. Don’t be quick to assume and judge. Everyone can handle their return differently.
Resources
To connect with Dipal Shah:
For more helpful advice, read our blog post – The Secrets to a Successful Return to Work after Maternity Leave, here.
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