Becoming a new mother is an exciting and fulfilling phase for new parents. But ask any working new mom and you will find that the transition from a professional to a new mom to a working mother is never easy. Often returning mothers are worried about facing discrimination or being left out of opportunities they rightly deserve. Added to this is the anxiety of having to balance “everything” – career, home, baby.
But there are things you can do to manage these workplace blues like:
1. Choose your return date wisely
Ease back into your work routine after your maternity leave. Try and join towards the end of the week – Wednesday or Thursday. This will ensure your first week is short and you gather the energy to hit the daily grind, running. If your company allows you to start mid-week then it is a great way to transition back into the work-life.
2. Use different flexible work options
Flexible work options don’t just have to be restricted to work-from-home. You can look for creative alternatives and discuss them with your employer. These could include – working just 4 days a week with compressed hours; flexi-timings to suit your needs; becoming a consultant and taking up projects, etc.
3. Finding a community
Work-place anxiety can be reduced considerably if you can find support from your fellow working moms that face similar challenges. You can check with your employer to see whether such support groups exist in your company. If not, consider starting a group where working mothers can share their experiences and concerns.
4. Recreate your professional career
In case you quit your job and took a break, you can use that time to recreate your career. You could explore other professional avenues or look for jobs that offer flexibility. You can also use this time to upgrade your skills, and network extensively. Balancing so many different responsibilities can make you a pro at multi-tasking, so play to your strengths.
There are many ways in which you can maintain balance between your career and new motherhood. Employers these days offer flexible options to retain talent. In case you are looking for a job change or looking to upgrade your career, then monster.com.sg will help you find an opportunity that suits you the best.
