Fear

When you go back to work, it’s normal to have feelings of fear, doubt, or shame. The fear naturally is from the fact that this place was part of the burn out.

 

What also fuels the fear is that you have been detached from the workplace for a while and that you could work on your recovery in complete safety. That made that you’ve been lose from the work for a while. Being lose gave you a feeling of safety. The safety to work at yourself.

 

This now is taking the next step in your recovery. That is going back to the workplace and that feels quite uncomfortable and scary. In time you will notice that the fear is getting less because you start to use the tips in the following texts.

 

In short, the fear is there and accept that. But also remember that it will pass.

 

Own experience 

My company doctor advised me to stay in touch with mu work. Start the recovery, but go to work every now and then, so that the step back does not become too big.

 

That has worked out well for me. I have been out of school for 6 weeks (including the Christmas holidays). Then, on a therapeutic basis, I went back. 

 

Of course, I also was afraid, and I thought; “Can I do this”? By trial and error, I’ve managed to do this. By using Phase 1 and the tips that will come in Phase 2.

 

Eventually the fear disappeared and gave way to attentiveness. As a result, I have become more and more aware of my needs, limits and how to deal with them.

 

What’s positive?

The fear is best to be seen as given. Yes, he’s here, but you have to move on. Going back to work helps with recovery. Yes, it’s going to discover what can and cannot be done. In the beginning, that is not so much, but over time you will notice that you can do more and more and that the fear decreases and even goes away,

 

Tips:

1.    Don’t wait too long to go back. The threshold (fear) is getting higher and higher

2.    Use all the tools from Phase 1 (writing, planning, reflecting, etc.)

3.    The fear is extra great when you put pressure and expectations on yourself.

 

For the employer

The employee who returns has had a rough period. Going to work is the next step in that recovery.

 

Remember that the employee is not there yet. Making this step negotiable and giving the feeling that he/she is at least heard can lower the threshold.

 

By dealing with this openly, you can remove the tension from the employee and thus speed up recovery.

 

It is therefore in everyone’s interest to take this fear seriously.