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The major recovery phase is over or perhaps it is not over at all, but you have no choice and you have to go back to work because you were no longer allowed to report sick. You’re back or you’ve started again somewhere else. How are you going to do this now? How are you going to ensure that you do not relapse again and that you still have some energy left after your working day and during the weekend?
1. Be honest
Be honest about the fact that you have had a burnout, it is nothing to be ashamed of. If it says anything about you, it is that you are extremely involved and that you have a great sense of responsibility. You once pushed your boundaries considerably, now you have learned from this and you are ready to close an old chapter in your life and start a new, wiser chapter.
2. Set your limits
Oops, that’s scary, because you couldn’t do that. But hopefully you have now learned through therapy or through your own experience that setting boundaries is very important. Therefore, determine what your boundaries are before you go back to work, because if you don’t even know what your own boundaries are, you cannot guard them. Do you still want to work overtime?
And if so, how many hours per week do you want to work overtime? Are you going to be there for all your colleagues again or are you going to put your own work first? And how are you going to say ‘no’ when your colleagues ask you something? And your (new) manager, how do you deal with this, what are you going to do if you slowly start doing more things than are on your job description?
Make sure you know the answers to this and you will feel stronger. And then it’s just a matter of doing it! Your colleagues still like you, even if you say no sometimes. Your boss will probably be disappointed that he can’t pass that job on to you, but he will also be impressed by your determination and clarity.
Also Read: How strict are you with yourself? Have an interest in self-compassion
3. Be clear
Everyone likes to know where he or she stands. In the past, it was probably clear that you did everything in the office, that you did an extra job without complaining and that you helped everyone out. Now it must become clear that you stick to your job description, that you occasionally want to help someone, but only if this is not at the expense of your own work and that you go home when you have worked 8 hours. This is not a bad thing at all! But just be clear, so everyone knows where they stand.
4. Watch your energy
Take good care of yourself, even at the office. So eat a pastry a maximum of once a week or every 2 weeks on someone’s birthday, because those sugars really exhaust you. Make sure you have a healthy breakfast and lunch so that you have enough energy all day long. Take a walk during your lunch break to give your brain a break. This gives you the opportunity to process all the stimuli.
Also Read: If you want to feel good, you have to learn to stand up for yourself
5. Listen to your feelings
Hopefully you have learned to listen to your feelings during the time you were at home. Have you learned that from now on you can trust your intuition. In the past you probably ignored all the signals your body gave you, but don’t do this anymore! If you feel you need to keep your distance from a colleague, do so! If you feel that you need to stand up for yourself with that colleague, do so! If you notice that you have too much work, talk to your manager! Listen to your intuition, because it knows very well what is best for you.
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