Getting Ready to Return to Work: Preparing for Work Situations Back in Motion Rehab Inc. January 2014
Getting Ready to Return to Work: Preparing for Work Situations When you think about your job, or about working in general, you may find yourself worrying about how you are going to manage. Perhaps you are worried about how you are going to be able keep up with all of your job demands, or whether you are going to make mistakes. You might be worried about whether you will have the stamina to make it through an eight hour day. If you struggle with high levels of pain, you may be concerned about how you are going to get through even a few hours. Take a moment and think about what worries you about going back into your work environment. Make a list of everything that worries you. Be as specific as you can. You may find yourself worrying about these situations and your ability to successfully cope with them. How does this make you feel more or less confident? The problem with worrying is that it doesn t help us prepare to deal with problems (even though we might believe that it does!) instead, it makes us feel nervous and unhappy right now, less confident about our ability to cope, and more likely to avoid the problems. So what can you do instead? Plan & Prepare Look at your list of work worries. It s time RIGHT NOW to start thinking about how what you are going to do when you are faced with these situations. Instead of just worrying about the situation, start problem solving. Think about what you can do RIGHT NOW to start preparing for work. Back in Motion Rehab Inc. Page 2
Think about how you can deal with it if and when the problem happens once you are back at work. Let s look at a few examples. Since she s been off work, Sarah feels like she is slower and less organized, and gets easily overwhelmed. She has a hard time keeping up with her household tasks. Sarah has a very busy office job. She knows she has a lot to accomplish each day, and this is made even harder by the many emails she receives. When she thinks about going back to work, she worries about staying on top of her job responsibilities. What can Sarah do RIGHT NOW to start preparing for work? Here is what she came up with: Start practicing organization now, before I start back at work Make a list of household tasks that need to get done, then prioritize them Make a plan for each day, including how much time to spend on each task, and stick to it Keep track of what gets done and what needs more time Organize and get up to date with personal emails, and allocate some time each day for keeping up with personal emails Keep days as structured and organized as possible Use smartphone to keep a calendar/day planner, make lists, and give myself reminders Start planning NOW how I can organize myself better at work Make sure I have dedicated email time scheduled into my day (30 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes after lunch, 30 minutes at end of the day) the rest of the time turn off the email alerts on my computer so I can focus on other tasks Plan my day in advance, including how much time to spend on each task (try to plan at least a day in advance so I feel organized and don t have to worry about it when I get home) Make sure I prioritize tasks and make time for the most important tasks don t want to get caught up in the less important things that are faster to do Schedule extra time into each day so that I don t get stressed when things take longer than I expected Ask for help during the first few weeks/month Back in Motion Rehab Inc. Page 3
Mike works in shipping/receiving and has been off work due to a back injury. His doctors tell him he is safe to go back to work but he still has a lot of back pain. He is really worried about how he is going to manage his job duties, which require a lot of standing and lifting. What can Mike do RIGHT NOW to start preparing for work? Here is what he came up with: Keep doing the exercises I learned in rehab, every day Start increasing my daily activities keep a schedule Make sure I practice the pain management strategies that work for me (take regular breaks, use ice pack, use a tennis ball for self-massage, stretching, and talking to other people about things other than pain, going out with my wife for a walk every evening) Take 5 minute break every 40 minutes, even before my pain starts to get worse Start planning NOW how I will cope with pain at work: Talk to my boss and co-worker about taking short breaks (5 min every 40 min) Set my smartphone to give me a reminder so I don t forget to take the break Stretch during breaks Move a chair into the warehouse so I can sit down when I need to There is no freezer at work, so bring a cooler to keep my ice packs Bring a tennis ball so I can self-massage my lower back on the wall Be careful with lifting; don t get lazy with using my legs Ask for help with the heavier stuff Play music I like in the warehouse and talk to coworkers as we work; helps distract me Preparing and planning for return to work will help you feel more in control of the process, and can help improve your confidence that you can do this. Start with the first Back in Motion Rehab Inc. Page 4
item on your list. Write down what you can do RIGHT NOW to start preparing, and what you can plan to do to cope with this problem at work. Be specific. What can I do RIGHT NOW to start preparing for work? What can I do at work to cope with these problems? Now it s time for action. Look at your list of what you can do RIGHT NOW to start preparing, and get started. TIP: It is a great idea to set specific goals for each day. Try setting up a schedule of activities on a weekly basis. Keep a record of what you accomplish. Your plan for coping with problems at work is a work in progress. Make a separate plan for each problem. Make sure you write down the plan. Review your plans every couple of days, and add to them and revise them if you come up with more or better ideas. Ask friends or family members for ideas if you think it would be helpful. Back in Motion Rehab Inc. Page 5
Exercise your body If you are off work because of a physical injury, you may be participating in a physical rehabilitation program, or you may have already done so. Keeping your body, including your injury site, fit and strong is essential to recovery. Continuing to exercise and sticking to your rehabilitation program as set out for you will help make sure you are physically ready for the demands of your job. But exercising is just as important for people who don t have physical injuries. There is growing evidence that regular exercise helps improve mood, even in people who have high levels of depression. It can also be a great stress reliever. It doesn t have to be a major work out. It can be as simple as going for a brisk walk! Just get your heart and muscles moving. If you have a medical condition, remember to consult with your doctor before you begin an exercise program. Exercise your brain Are you worried that your ability to concentrate and pay attention has gone down the drain? Or that your memory is shot? You re not alone! This is a very common concern for people who have been out of the workforce for a while. It is particularly problematic for people who have been struggling with depression and anxiety. The problems you may be having with attention, concentration, and memory may be related to depression and anxiety. They may also be related to an unstructured daily routine that doesn t include much opportunity for thinking, solving problems, or paying close attention. Either way, helping your brain to get active again will help prepare you for work. Some ideas for sharpening your brain: Do crossword puzzles, Sudoku puzzles, or word searches Play board games or card games with friends or family members Play with Lego with your kids Try out ww.lumosity.com this website has lots of brain exercises designed to sharpen memory and improve attention Start reading this can be really challenging for people who are having trouble concentrating, so start small. Begin with reading newspaper, magazine or on-line articles, then move on to relatively short, easy to read fiction or non-fiction before you tackle War and Peace. Write letters or emails to friends or family Take on tasks you may have stopped doing since you left work, such as paying the bills and the monthly finances if you aren t confident in your ability to do this, ask for help from a family member or friend Back in Motion Rehab Inc. Page 6
Structure your day When people are not working, their daily routine can become quite unstructured. This tends to be a big change from what their life is like when they are working, which tends to follow a fairly defined schedule. A useful way to start preparing for returning to work is to begin to re-introduce structure and routine to your daily life. Doing this before you return to work can help make the transition easier. What time do you get up when you have to go to work? Begin by setting your alarm and getting yourself out of bed at this time every day (or the days of the week you would typically work). Go through your morning routine showering, dressing, eating breakfast, etc. as if you were going to go to work. Go to bed as if you have to work the next day. Plan your bedtime so that you will have enough sleep. If your sleep schedule is off kilter since being off work, it is a great idea to start getting your bed time/wake times on track now, before you first day. It may take a few weeks for your body to adjust to a new sleep routine. Remember - keeping a regular sleep schedule that allows for an adequate amount of sleep tends to lead to better quality, more restorative sleep and feeling more energized and alert during the day. Add structure to your day. Plan activities in advance, and keep a schedule. This can include things like grocery shopping, household chores, exercising, and socializing, as well as the specific things you are doing to prepare for your return to work the trick is to schedule activities at particular times, and then stick to your schedule. Doing this will help make your days more active and structured. Gradually start adding more activities to your day. Try to fill your days. Add tasks that you have been avoiding or ones that you haven t quite got to yet. Consider using a day planner, or the calendar function on your computer or smartphone, to make your schedule. Check your schedule periodically throughout the day to make sure you are on track. Treat everything on the schedule even things like vacuuming the living room as if they were work appointments. In other words, you wouldn t cancel the appointment unless you absolutely had to, and if you did cancel, you would reschedule! Pain Management If you struggle with pain, it is very important to think about how you are going to manage your pain at work (and before work, and after work, and on the weekends ). There are so many different strategies that people find help manage their pain, or turn down the volume on their pain. For some people, it is things like rest, using hot or cold packs, or taking hot baths or showers; for others, it may be stretching, alternating body position at regular intervals, or going for walks. Pacing themselves to make sure they don t overdo it or under-do it is important too. Many people find the best pain management strategy is distraction focusing the mind on something completely different not only helps them forgot their pain for a while, it improves their mood. Back in Motion Rehab Inc. Page 7
Think about what works for you, and where and when it will work best. Plan to use some strategies specifically at work, and some strategies at home. Unfortunately, when pain levels are high, sometimes people seem to forget what helps best. It might be helpful to keep a reminder list of strategies that are the most helpful in your desk or in your wallet somewhere easy to access when the going gets tough. It is also a good idea to think about the kinds of tasks you will be required to perform at work, and how these might affect your pain levels. If you have an office or desk job, sitting for extended periods of time might present a challenge, as might the positioning of your arms for using the keyboard and the positioning of your head and neck for viewing the computer monitor. You might want to investigate whether you can access an ergonomic assessment of your work station. If you have a job that has physical requirements, such as lifting, pushing, or pulling, make sure you are clear about your limits, but also about how you can most safely perform these activities. One of the most common mistakes people make when they go back to work with pain symptoms is not taking planned breaks. Talk to your treatment team about how often and how long your breaks should be, and what you should do on a break (for example, it might be useful to take a short walk or stretch, or use pain management strategies). Remember that you should be taking breaks before your pain symptoms get worse, not just when they get worse! If remembering to take breaks is going to be a problem, plan for this too for example, you might set your computer or smartphone to give you a reminder. Take a few moments to write down the strategies you plan to use to manage your pain once you are back at work. Once you are back at work, you might find it helpful to keep a list of these somewhere that you can easily access while you are in the workplace (e.g., on your corkboard, in your desk, or in your wallet) give yourself a daily reminder of the things you need to do to keep your pain under control. Pain Management at Work What s the plan? Back in Motion Rehab Inc. Page 8
Preparing for the First Day Back Chances are, you haven t been back in your workplace since you left. Does the thought of walking through the doors on the first day make you start to sweat? Sometimes, the anticipation of the first day back at work is overwhelming. You may not have seen your coworkers or boss since you left work. You may be worried about why they think you were off work, or why you have been off for so long. Will they be happy to see you, or will they be skeptical about your reasons for being away? What kinds of questions will they ask you? Will they ask too many questions or press you for personal information? If you are returning to work gradually, or won t be doing your full duties right away, what will they think? If these kinds of worries are bothering you, take a moment and write down your concerns about the first day of work or about seeing your coworkers and supervisor(s) again. There are three ways to tackle these worries. The first way is to determine whether these thoughts are realistic and/or helpful, and if not, challenge them! (For more information about challenging anxious thoughts, see the booklet Managing Worry about Returning to Work.) On the following page is an example. Back in Motion Rehab Inc. Page 9
Thought Challenging Anxious thought: My coworkers were probably sympathetic at first, but I m sure they wonder why I ve been off work so long. They probably think I m faking it and milking the system. Are there good reasons for me having this thought? You can t see depression. They don t know that anything is wrong. Are there any reasons why I shouldn t be so worried about this? My coworkers are really nice people. We ve always gotten along. Maybe they will be happy to see me. Last year, Teresa was away for three months after her father died. No one said anything bad about her. I was really glad to see her when she came back to work. Is there another way of looking at this? My coworkers are understanding and supportive. What can I do about it? I can explain to them what s been happening for me so that they can have a better understanding of why I ve been off work. I can remind myself not to assume the worst they are nice people, and some of them have also taken time off work for mental health reasons and therefore might understand what I ve been going through. Remember that I like these people and they like me! If I work hard, they will see that I m trying and respect me for it. Back in Motion Rehab Inc. Page 10
The second thing you can do is remind yourself about what worrying does for you. Is it helping you? Protecting you? Helping you solve problems? Probably not! But is making you feel terrible. Remind yourself about what worrying is REALLY doing for you, and then push your worries away. So we know that worrying isn t helpful, but problem solving is. One thing you can do that will help you prepare for your return to work is to plan how you will deal with some of the situations that may emerge on your first day. Worried about being asked a lot of personal questions you don t want to answer? It could happen, especially if your coworkers have been worried about you. If you don t want to discuss your problems or reasons for being away, then you can plan NOW how you are going to handle these questions. Having a plan in place will help you feel more in control and confident about how you will handle this problem if it happens. Some examples of things you could say if asked personal questions, or too many questions: I m really going to try to focus on work right now. I don t really want to focus on my problems, especially here at work. It has been a tough couple of months, but I m doing better now. Thanks for asking. I m sorry, but I don t want to focus on the past right now. How are you doing? Thank you so much for asking, but I m not comfortable talking about this at work. I ve had some health problems, but I m feeling better now. Thanks for asking! (Remember mental health problems are health problems too! You are allowed to be vague.) Another strategy is to ask questions about your colleagues - how have they been doing? Politely declining to provide details but then asking questions about them sends the message that you aren t being cold or rude. Worried about seeing colleagues you haven t seen in a long time? This is a common worry for people heading back to work after time off. Some of these worries may be related to concern about being asked personal questions (see above). Other times it s just the thought of facing these people again getting through the initial hellos and conversations. Consider planning to visit your workplace before your first day back. This can be as simple as a casual drop in (if that would be considered appropriate in your workplace) - a chance to say hello and let everyone know you ll be back soon. Some people are able to arrange to attend a social event prior to going back for example, a lunch or after Back in Motion Rehab Inc. Page 11
work get-together. You may be able to contact your supervisor and arrange a time for a quick visit. However you do it, this can be a great way to ease the anxiety about the first day. If you have already been back into the work environment and seen and talked to your colleagues, this means one less thing to worry about on your first day back on the job. If you find yourself worrying about what your coworkers are going to think when they see you again, make sure you use the thought challenging strategies discussed above. Worried about feeling overwhelmed on the first day? Many people return to work in a gradual fashion they start with reduced hours and work up to their regular schedule over a few weeks time. This is called a Gradual Return to Work Program the reason why this exists is because many employers recognize that the initial return to work can be overwhelming. The gradual return to work is designed to help ease people back into their jobs and reduce the feelings of anxiety about being expected to do it all right from the get-go. If you are going to be doing a gradual return to work, find out how long you will be expected to be at work for the first day. You may want to contact your supervisor and find out what the plan is for the first day, or even the first few days. This will help you prepare. Regardless of whether you will be doing a gradual return to work or not, you can start planning and preparing now for your first day. Think about what you can do if you start feeling overwhelmed. Some ideas include: Plan to take breaks. Use your breaks wisely! If you are feeling anxious, perhaps you could practice controlled breathing or use thought challenging strategies. If you have problems with pain, use some of your pain management strategies. Bring a notepad. Use it to write down instructions or make lists, so you don t have to worry about having to remember everything you can refer to your notes later. Remind yourself that IT IS YOUR FIRST DAY! You don t have to perform perfectly or doing absolutely everything your job entails this is a time for getting re-acquainted with your job responsibilities (or learning them for the first time, if you are starting a new job). Back in Motion Rehab Inc. Page 12