Maybe you’re getting ready for parental leave. Although you’re looking forward to starting a new chapter of your life with a baby, you’re nervous about the changes it will bring to your professional life. Perhaps you’re nearing the end of your pregnancy and approaching your maternity leave start date, or your spouse is heading back to work soon while you go on paternity leave. Either way, you can’t help but feel a little anxious about taking time away.
It’s perfectly normal to feel a bit worried about going on parental leave. In fact, when you’re welcoming a new member of the family, excitement, and nervousness can go hand in hand! Here are a few things you can do to cultivate a positive mindset and stay calm as you look forward to parental leave.
Remember, You’ve Earned This Time Away
First, it’s important to keep in mind that you’ve worked hard and earned this leave time. In our fast-paced culture that encourages maintaining high productivity at all costs, it can be tough to let go of the guilt that comes with taking time away from work.
But parental leave is certainly not a vacation! You deserve to make the most of this window of time with your new addition. The weeks will fly by before you know it.
Work Closely with Your Supervisor
You might be a little nervous about parental leave because you know that you’ve always been a dependable report for your supervisor. Before your leave begins, work closely with your supervisor to ensure that you’ve wrapped up any projects or deliverables that were on your plate.
What if there are certain tasks that you won’t be able to complete before your leave? Ensure that people have been assigned to take over these tasks. Alternatively, make sure you have a concrete plan outlined for picking back up where you left off when you return.
Prepare Your Direct Reports
Do you oversee any employees at your workplace? If so, take the time to prepare them for your absence. Make sure they know who they will be reporting to when you’re gone. If any of your reports will be taking over specific tasks or workflows during your leave, thoroughly train them in these tasks.
That way, you’ll be able to trust that things are going smoothly when you’re gone.
Coordinate with Your Replacement If Possible
Each company takes its own approach to bringing new hands on deck when an employee takes parental leave. In your case, an individual who already works for the company in a different capacity might be taking over for you and serving as a point of contact for your recruits. Alternatively, a few different team members might be assuming some of your responsibilities.
If your replacement already works with you, communicate openly with them before you leave and answer their questions. However, if your company will be bringing in a temp for the duration of your maternity leave, make sure to leave detailed documents to get them up to speed.
Be Patient with Yourself When You Return
Perhaps you’re worried about how you will feel when you come back from parental leave. You might be nervous about getting back into the groove, especially when you know that you’ll be exhausted as a new parent! Be gentle with yourself. Your team knows it will take a little while for you to feel like yourself again. You don’t need to launch right back into productivity mode.
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Are you nervous about adjusting to parental leave? Talking to a therapist can help. Reach out to us to discuss your options for scheduling your first session for postpartum therapy or parent therapy.