Dear Advy,
I was forced to take time off due to anxiety. I am glad to take the time but I’m nervous about going back and returning confidently. Any suggestions on how to navigate stigma, communicate my needs, and sustain long-term well-being upon re-entry
Sincerely,
Worried About the Stigma
Dear Worried,
We live – and work – in a world where we are slowly but surely coming to recognize that good health includes mental health as well as physical health. We know from our own experiences, the experiences of our colleagues, and surveys done by CBA, Law Societies, and many employers, that working in the legal profession exposes us to immense stress, vicarious and direct trauma, and other challenges to our mental health. A review of the archives of this column will show you many ways your colleagues have experienced challenges with their own mental health and reached out for help.
I point this out, Worried, because I think it’s important that you take the time to recognize that you are not alone. You are not alone in this profession, and you probably aren’t alone in your workplace either. When you think about returning to work and how to deal with the many parts of that process that may arise for you, keep this at the forefront of your mind: you took a medical leave to deal with a medical problem, and now you’re healthy again and – I hope – ready and excited to return to work. Re-entry into the workplace marks the successful completion of hard, necessary work that you did.
You can think about your return-to-work kind of like an astronaut’s re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere. As any astronaut will tell you, re-entry is the most fraught part of orbit. It's a good idea to approach re-entry to your office environment with the same kind of careful planning that NASA does every day. I’m not using this metaphor to increase your anxiety about returning to your workplace, but it has important lessons for us: many of the things you will experience will be less traumatic if you anticipate them and plan for them, especially if you get help in making those plans. Just as space agencies do for re-entry scenario, with a bit of planning and some outside help to lean on, you can land safely and successfully.
Here are some ways you can help make sure you are as prepared as you can be, and have the right supports in place to help you through any of the potentially turbulent periods.
- Expect a transition period
One of the dangers of re-entry is adjusting velocity. A space vehicle goes from traveling thousands of kilometres per hour in the emptiness of space to the upper atmosphere where it encounters dense air and friction. Unlike an astronaut, you will likely be accelerating, not decelerating, as you re-enter the atmosphere of Planet Work. Either way, it’s helpful to remember that you may well find the pace of work quite different from what you’ve been used to, and that it will create some friction. It is tempting to blame yourself for feeling like things are unfamiliar, or you can’t do everything you want to be able to do right away or keep up with the fast pace of the office. Remember, though, that just as astronauts aren’t to blame for the enormous changes in velocity that they and their module are experiencing, you aren’t blameworthy for feeling like this new speed is a bit bracing. Those G-forces you’re experiencing aren’t your fault. - Be realistic in your expectations
You are hopefully excited about returning to work and excited to be back to your normal routine again. It’s important that, in your excitement, you don’t jump right back in with two feet before you’re ready and end up overloading yourself. Like an astronaut re-entering the atmosphere, it takes time to transition from space back to planet Earth; we don’t yet live in the Star Trek world of instant transporters. The process of re-entry follows planned steps, adjusting as necessary to respond to changing conditions. Think about your return to work in the same way and outline realistic steps you can take. A transition period may mean that you build up to working full hours or carrying a full workload. It may mean that you need to schedule time to catch up on recent developments in the law, or changes in your workplace’s processes. To have a successful re-entry, it’s important to pay attention to each of the steps you need to take, and schedule time for them. - Decide how much information you want to share
It is entirely up to you how much information you share about why you took a leave, and the healing you did while you were on your leave. Some people feel that this is private information that they don’t want to share with their colleagues, while other people feel like they want others to know. There is no right or wrong choice here, because only you know what feels best for you. Spending some time thinking about this will make sure that you aren’t taken by surprise.
Once you’ve made your choice, think about how you’d like to communicate with others about your leave. If other people in your workplace know some of the details about your leave, communicate clearly with them about what, if anything, you’re comfortable with them sharing. If you’ve made the choice not to share information, plan some phrases you can use to respond to inquiries from well-meaning colleagues. You might practice saying them, so they feel comfortable and natural. You might also get a friend or loved one to play your inquisitive colleague, so you can get a handle on what a conversation might feel like. Practice with this until you feel comfortable and confident that you can manage any potentially awkward encounters. - Plan a visit
You’ve been away from work for some time, focusing on the work of getting well. Like astronauts living and working in space, you’ve been dealing with an entirely new atmosphere. In the meantime, time has not stood still at work. The world you are returning to will be both familiar and unfamiliar, and returning to work will require you to reacclimate yourself to that environment. It might be helpful to visit your workplace before returning to actual work, to see colleagues that you haven’t spoken to in some time and to catch up on the news of the workplace. If you have a particular friend or trusted colleague, you can arrange to visit with them to provide a reason and a structure for your visit. This might help you mentally return to the space of work before you have to actually take on any work. - Be mindful of your own responses
As you go through the re-entry process, unexpected things will happen. Your plan, like any other, will probably not survive first contact. When unexpected things happen, be prepared to respond to them and adjust accordingly.
Pay attention to how you are feeling and to your energy levels. You could find that you need to transition more slowly than you planned, which could mean you need to adjust your re-entry speed. You could find that you’re less sure about how to proceed than you anticipated, which could mean you need to communicate more with management, your colleagues, and your support team. It might be a good idea to schedule check-ins with yourself, your medical or other professional supports, and your supervisor. This will allow you to take focused time to reflect on how you’re experiencing the return to work and identify any shifts that you want to make at that time.
Remember that these adjustments are part of the plan, as you figure out the best trajectory to get to where you’re going. - Ask for help
You have hopefully found many resources in your work to improve your health while you’ve been on leave. You may have a psychiatrist, psychologist, or other professional medical practitioner who has helped you. You may have friends or loved ones who have been a support in your life. You may have made connections to community supports, like peer counsellors or support groups. These are all resources that can support your re-entry mission, so make sure that you’re communicating with them about your plan and how you’re feeling. You might also have support resources available to you through your employer, like an Employee Assistance Plan. The Law Society in your province might also have supports available, like Lawyers Assistance Programs.
It’s a good idea to identify all the resources available to support you through re-entry, and how to access them, even if you don’t think you’ll need them. The more you know now, the better able you’ll be to adjust to unexpected shifts. And don’t be afraid to ask for help from your colleagues and the rest of your team, because re-entry is not a solo project.
There are lots of websites that offer tips for returning to work that you might find helpful, post medical leave.
With a good plan in place, and access to support systems, you can successfully navigate the process of re-entry in a way that feels right to you. Once you are back at work, these same tips can help keep you healthy as you move forward in your career. Planning, being mindful of your own responses, and asking for help can help you make sure that you maintain a healthy balance and healthy boundaries that will allow you to sustain long-term well-being.
Congratulations on all the work you’ve done, and I wish you continued good health ahead!
Be well,
Advy
