Ask a Therapist - Planning Your Return to Work

(air swooshes) (soft twinkly music) This question is from Mila. And Mila is asking us about returning back to work after a leave of absence. Hi. So what are some strategies I can use to manage stress and to communicate more effectively with my employer and my colleagues about my needs as I transition back to work? This is a great question, and I love how you are excited about using your voice. That's the first strategy is recognizing that you have a voice and the power to communicate what your needs might be to your leadership. So starting there is recognizing I have a voice in the first place and I'm gonna use it. And then asking yourself, "What do I need?" That's the strategy. Ask yourself, "What do I need to stay well and continue this healthy journey that I'm on once I return back to work?" So write that question at the top of your journal page and start writing. Think about what would it look like for the lifestyle you've created now to be back at work and start to visualize that. How will it feel? What do you want it to look like? What would the end of your day look like? And then from there, you wanna just start writing out. I won't say make a list of demands because, you know, you can't make demands. But what you can do is make a list that aligns with what will keep you healthy and whole. What is sustainable? You decide what will make you feel heard. What is the thing that will make you feel heard? And the best way to communicate that they will actually hear what you are saying. But write it out and turn it in. Like, that's the strategy. Stop, think about what you want, journal about it. Start to visualize what would be the best outcome when work is reintroduced back into your life. Create a bulleted list and say, "Hey, here's what I need." If you want to get really granular, create a transition plan back into the workplace. Some workplaces do have a transition plan, but if yours does not, you can create it. That might look like. "In the first 30 days, here's the list of things that I'm gonna be focusing on. This is how many breaks that I might need. In 60 days, here's where I'm gonna be, and it's the next step up. In 90 days, here's where I'm gonna be. And after that, hey, I'm gonna be in here and here's where I'm gonna be." And then you hand them your job description. But the beauty of what you have right now, it's the privilege of creating it. And it sounds like you have leadership that is wanting you to tell them what that's gonna look like. So I believe in you. I know you're gonna create something amazing. Use your voice, use your voice, use your voice. Give them the list, and...