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The Road To Recovery: Returning To Work From A Long-Term Illness

Preparing to return to work after a long time away can be surprisingly stressful. A lot of people in this position worry about what might happen when it comes time to start working again. There is plenty involved, and it can be difficult knowing whether or not you are getting it all right. Add to that the stress of the illness itself, and it is easy to see how people can struggle with this situation. Nonetheless, there are ways of ensuring that the whole process goes a lot more smoothly. In this article, we will be sharing some essential advice for making the transition back to work easier and less stressful. Let’s take a look at how to do that now.

Medicines & thermometer

Learn Your Illness Fully

If you are off work due to a chronic illness, it can be hugely helpful to learn the illness as well as possible. This might sound obvious, but it is surprising how many people do not learn the ins and outs of their own illness. No matter what the illness is, it is likely that understanding it fully will help you to be able to handle it better. With better handling, your recovery is likely to be considerably quicker and less painful. This will, in turn, make the return to work a lot easier to deal with. If you are off work due to a serious injury, then it is still advisable to learn all there is to know. It might be that your doctor has not quite told you everything. However, be careful about where you get your information from. Remember that you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet. It is a good idea, however, to ask medical professionals or your carers what you can do to speed up recovery.

Keep In Touch With Your Employer

From the moment that you realise you will be off work, it is imperative that you keep in touch with your employer. This is for a number of reasons, all of which are likely to prove important. First of all, your employer will probably appreciate being kept in the loop. There is a good chance that you will be able to return to your exact position as before. However, this will be much easier if you keep your employer informed as to your condition. It is a good idea to let them know if it is going to take longer than expected, for example, as this could affect things hugely. It also benefits your health to do this, as keeping everything in place will reduce stress and so improve your condition. It might be a good idea to pass on any confirmation that you receive from your doctor to your employer.

business, meeting, person

Make Sure You Are Ready To Return

Before you actually begin the process of returning to work, it is essential that you ensure you are ready. The first and most important stage here is making sure that your health is in the best shape possible for your return. It is unlikely that you will be completely healthy, but you want to know that you can function properly at work. Most employers will carry out occupational health assessments to determine whether you are fit to return to work. Beyond that, it is also essential to seek the advice of your doctor and see whether they agree. Getting yourself ready for return also entails that you are psychologically ready. It can be surprisingly destabilising to return to work after a long time away. You want to be sure that you will be able to cope with the process mentally. There is no way to know for sure; it is mostly just a matter of being honest with yourself about how you feel. If you don’t feel up to it, it might not be time. However, don’t let yourself fall into the trap of never returning to work out of fear.

Man on Gray Shirt Portrait

Stay Positive & Embrace Changes

This is likely to be one of the most difficult periods of your life to date, so the power of embracing positivity is likely to be important here. It might seem like the hardest thing in the world to stay positive at this time. However, it is hugely important that you try to. If you are successful in being positive, you will find that this has great knock-on effects on your health more generally. Also, try to be aware that it is likely that things have changed since you were out of work. Be ready to embrace various changes in your life, both in and out of work.

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