I know from my treatment room that one of the biggest challenges that some clients face having been off of work with depression, stress or anxiety is that of returning to work. However complete their cure, however, positive they feel about themselves there still always seems that little twinge when you think of the first day back.
Thoughts can run riot, perhaps it is to do with what others might think, perhaps it is to do with how it will feel to be back in the same place but the thought can control how you feel and it is worth taking some time to mentally prepare yourself for that transition back into the workplace.
Many employers now offer a phased return to work for staff that have been off for an extended period of time and this is a recognition that things will have changed and you need some time to adapt. Typically these plans will encompass shorter working weeks or shorter days to allow you to catch up on emails or changes, perhaps a colleague will sit in with you if there are new or changed processes. Each plan will be tailored to the individual and should take your needs into account.
Most people worry about the first few hours, that moment of turning the handle and walking in and meeting people again for the first time. The fear often centres around judgement. What will they think of me? We would give little thought to this if we had been in a car crash and laid up in intensive care for 3 week, but because we have been off with a ‘mental’ illness we worry that people will think we were not really ill a malingerer, yet just because someone thinks that does not make them right, why should you have to suffer that consequence. In reality there will be a range of reactions, people who unfortunately judge you harshly, people who are delighted to see you back, people who know what you have been through and are happy to talk and people who are a bit cagy because they are not sure what to do (rather like when someone dies). If you can see other peoples reaction as their problem then you will survive your first day much better.
It can also be useful to think of the day as a chunk of time so when you go to enter the building think, no matter how bad this is, no matter if my worst fears are realised in a few hours it will be over and I will be going home and doing what I want. This thought that any unpleasant experience will always end is a very useful tool to help protect you.
In reality there will always be some anxiety in returning to work, that is the nature of situations that you are a little unsure of yet it is not something to fear, use the tools and techniques that you used to overcome your illness and understand that you defeated it and you can do this last step and get back to work.