What helps if you are plagued by job insecurity during parental leave

It is often not so easy to settle into your new role as a mother. Often, maternity leave is also the first time in your life when you are free from your day-to-day work and your day is free for you, instead of being full of work-related issues and problems that you have to solve. You may even have decided not to return to your job.

Unfortunately, in this situation we can easily fall into a dilemma. It's not uncommon for the end of pregnancy and the first few months with a baby to coincide with the time when we start thinking about our professional future: what do I actually want to do with the rest of my life?

Questions that are difficult to answer when you are caring for a baby day and night and practically never manage to concentrate, let alone sit down at a computer and do some research.

What can help here? The trick is not to overwhelm yourself: realize that your attention and care for your child is essential in these first months of life - your baby needs you and the energy and time you have to spend here hardly allow for anything else. Realize that this very intense first phase is temporary and that it won't last forever. Your baby will get bigger, sleep longer and at a more regular rhythm over time, so it will become easier for you. Be patient. As a little help, we have created a meditation for you, listen to it in a quiet moment and be patient and mindful for the moment. Because you don't want to miss out on enjoying this precious time with your child. You don't have to decide your professional future now, do one thing at a time.

Another helpful step is to talk to your partner and seek relief - what can they do to help you? We recommend making clear arrangements here: can you look after the little one on Monday from 3-5 p.m., I would like to do some research and thinking for myself during this time.

We look forward to seeing you in our coaching sessions and helping you to find your own individual solution.

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