Back from long term sick leave? It can be a bumpy ride......

Ten months is a long time. Ten months' worth of emails, and one to one discussions, and meetings, nine months of change. Fast paced change. And then you're back, trying to make sense of the papers you've been sent, googling, re-reading, searching for paper trails. Because you couldn't have kept up with it all in that time, you were having treatment. You were ill. You weren't sure you ever could, or would, be able to go back. And for some people it's not just nine months, it's a year and a half, two years, maybe even more. What will they think of you when you're sitting there, facing them for the first time. Will they know you? There will be people who've had a promotion, whose roles are different now, and new faces, and some of the familiar ones you had a really good working relationship with, well they're gone. And your role - will that be the same? It can't be completely, can it? Change impacts everything, and there's no way you'll be able to do things the same way you would have before. And then there's the question of stamina - will you be physically able to pull it off? Because let's be honest here, you're not quite the same person you were before.

This is the reality for so many people when they've been away from work on long term sick leave. So what are the key issues here? And how can we address them? Well, the first has to be the fear of the unknown, so let's start there. It may not have been possible for you to remain in contact with your employer and/or team during your absence. If this is the case, a meeting prior to returning to work with your immediate supervisor should enable you to bring yourself up to speed with what's been going on, changes in personnel, shifts in organisational goals. It's also your opportunity to outline what YOU need, in terms of flexible hours if possible, support in the office, and additional equipment that might be needed to enable you to fulfil your role. It's a chance for you to get any concerns noted, and to discuss how you might be supported in getting back in the saddle, for example, regular review and refine meetings, setting of short term targets, or maybe a buddying or mentorship programme to help you stay on track.

Another issue may be concerns around your contract, and this will certainly need to be addressed prior to you starting back. A meeting with HR support, or with your line manager can help to ensure that your contract still works for you AND your employer and that, if suitable, it reflects any changes in your working habits. You may also need certification from your GP so confirm that you're fit for work again, so this time of dotting 'i's and crossing 't's is a good safety net to get in place. And thinking about having the right answers, there will be questions - your co-workers will be wondering how you are, and what they can do to help. So it's worth preparing for this too, and it's really important here to know where your boundaries lie, and know which questions you are, or are not prepared to answer.

You may be unsure about what you can or cannot manage, so think about easing yourself in gradually. Maybe a mid week start back date would be good, to give you a shorter working week and bring that much needed weekend sooner. And honestly here is going to be essential - you setting yourself back isn't going to do anyone any good. So also think about limiting meetings and going only to the most important ones to start off with, establishing channels so that you can ask the questions you need to ask, identifying tasks that can be worked on away from the office (the hybrid working culture we have now can really be of huge benefit here!) and communicating effectively so that people know when you'll be available, and when you won't.

And the biggest issue? Well, it might just be self-belief. For so many people returning to work after a long period of ill health, there will be questions you ask yourself about whether you're up to the task, whether your brain still works as well, whether your colleagues will still have the respect for you that they had before. And whilst you can tell yourself until you're blue in the face that this is all a perfectly normal psychological reaction, it can be so tough to rationalise this in your head. And what's the answer to this one? How do you get past those doubts, that new imposter syndrome, the nervousness and feelings of being unsure in everything you do? Well, sometimes it just takes time. But it can also be an idea to talk to someone to help you to break down these thought process, to look at what's being driven by your head, your heart or your gut. Understanding WHY you're questioning yourself in this way is the first step to finding the answers that will help you not just to climb back into that saddle, but to leap back into it with renewed vigour and authority.

And just one more thing. What if your experience has completely changed the way you look at life? The way in which you want to work? How you prioritise and indeed what you want to get out of your professional life now? You have a new lived experience, and it may well have had a profound effect, so much so that you now decide that a change is needed, there's a drive to re-train, to cut hours, to find a new way of living. The old adage of trying to fit a square peg in a round hole comes into play here - maybe your new outlook means that the organisational culture where you thrived before no longer suits, that your leadership style has changed, or that you have different goals. Finding some support to help you work through all of this could well be advantageous, and it could be a really exciting set of new challenges you're facing. Building your resilience to help you face these challenges head on IS possible, you can be strong again, you can succeed. It's all out there waiting for you.

So good luck!

If you'd like to talk to us about how a coaching programme with The Clarity Hub can help you get back in the saddle after a long absence, then get in touch on [email protected]. We'd love to help.