3 Tips for Going Back to Work as a Mom

In today’s world, it’s quite common for both fathers and mothers to be working. Whether it be for financial reasons or career aspirations, women working outside of the home is more the norm versus several decades ago.

For many mothers, there is a window of time between the baby’s birth and going back to work where they will be staying at home to care for the child. That window could be weeks, months, or years. The step of going back to work can be both exciting and nerve-wracking.

If you’re considering going back to work after a gap to care for your child, what are some things you should do to prepare? If you’ve taken a few months off for maternity leave then hopefully the transition back will be seamless. If you’re looking to come back after a long time off, then getting back into the swing of things may take some time.

Here are tips to make the transition back to work go smoothly.

Research Your Next Job

With a family, you may have to be a bit more picky with your next position. Now you have many other factors to consider regarding your return to the workforce. What will the schedule be like? What are my expected working hours? What is the time off like? Is the workplace in close proximity to other places like schools or my children’s extracurricular activities? Will the salary help my family become more financially stable?

For example, if the job requires a lot of travel and long hours, then child care may become an issue. However, a job that offers the flexibility to work remotely a day or two could be very helpful.

These are all things to consider, so don’t be afraid to bring a fine-toothed comb on your job hunt. Being a mother is already a full-time job in itself and ideally, you’d like to find a job that compliments this part of your life versus complicates it.

Find Ways to Stay Healthy

Have you ever had a moment where you think back to the busy day you had and wonder, “How did I even have time to breathe?” Maybe your superwomen cape came on and you were able to multitask and complete everything. Or maybe you struggled to get even the smallest things done because you felt overwhelmed. When life gets chaotic, it’s important to do self-care. If you’re healthy both mentally and physically then you’ll be able to care for others and complete tasks better and more efficiently.

When it comes to health and lack of time, it’s easy to substitute unhealthy options for healthy ones. A quick stop by the vending machine may seem more convenient and enticing than snacking on nuts or fruit. Exercise gets put off until the next day, then the day after, and the day after that. It can be hard to keep a routine when you’re doing 500 different things at once.

If you’re still looking for work or have some off time, start making it a priority to walk every day or go to that Zumba class a few times a week. Start filling up your bottle with water before starting the day. If you can nail those habits now, they’ll be easier to implement once you’re back in the workforce again.

Maintaining energy and resting will be important to help you get through these challenging times. Take one step at a time to achieve tasks so you’ll feel like you’re moving forward and accomplishing what you need to. Try to find a routine and nail down some healthy habits. It could be setting aside 10 minutes in the morning to meditate. Or keeping only healthy snacks at home or in the car.

Control the Controllables

When jumping back into the workforce, it may seem like you have to do it all. It can be frustrating when some outside force disrupts your plans or sets you back. It may take a bit of time to get back on your feet and find your routine again.

That’s perfectly normal. You never see an athlete set a new world record the first time they’re cleared to return to action, so you shouldn’t expect yourself to be an all-star on day one. Take time, set small goals each week and work your way back. It can be easy to get caught up in all the stress.

Job-related issues and money are two of the leading causes of stress in the United States and it may be easy to get sucked back into that mindset. Just remember that you can only control what you’re responsible for. So focus more on these things versus the things out of your control. Day by day, you’ll get back into the rhythm and soon you’ll have a new normal that works for you and your family.

Contributed by Sarah Saker