Balancing work and wellbeing as a new parent
Returning to work after parental leave can be challenging, especially if you have experienced perinatal mental health issues. There are a range of strategies you can manage your mental health and ease the transition.
It’s normal to feel complex emotions about returning to work. You may find yourself looking forward to:
- Returning to your work identity.
- Enjoying work that you are comfortable and familiar with.
- Catching up with work colleagues.
- Having more money.
Yet at the same time, you might feel uncertain about:
- How you will manage the juggle.
- The impact work will have on your mental health.
- If your baby will cope in someone else’s care.
- How you will tell people about your mental health.
For some new parents, adjusting to work after parental leave can be stressful and difficult. For others, it can feel easy compared to looking after a baby full time.
It is completely normal if you find yourself having to adjust to what it is like to juggle parenting and work at the same time or adapting to having to work part time hours.
If you have experienced perinatal mental health issues, the adjustment to being a working parent may take a little more time. It’s important to be mindful of this and be patient with yourself. It’s also important that you create time for the things that make you feel better.
Practical tips to adjust to returning to work
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Mental health support
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Adjusting to your workplace
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Childcare
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Feeding your baby
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Managing expectations
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Fair Work Australia
If you do find that you’re struggling or notice that returning to work is affecting the way you feel, you can call PANDA’s National Helpline. It’s a safe and confidential space to chat about anything that might be troubling you as a new parent, including returning to work.
PANDA National Helpline
Find someone to talk to, Monday to Saturday.
1300 726 306
Call 000 for police and ambulance if you or someone else are in immediate danger
Talk with friends or family
Consider talking about how you are feeling with someone you trust. This might be a friend or family member. Once you starting talking you might be surprised at how many others have had similar experiences and the support they can provide you.
Talk with your doctor
Talking with your doctor can be an important step to getting the help you need. They should be able to give you non-judgemental support, assessment, diagnosis, and ongoing care and treatment. They can also refer you to specialists such as a counsellor, psychologist or psychiatrist.
Get help now
If you are having suicidal thoughts or are feeling disorientated it’s important to get help immediately. PANDA is not a crisis service, if you need immediate support call Lifeline 13 11 14 (24/7).