Lots of working women opt to resign from their posts to be full time stay-at-home moms after marriage or having kids. But after years of dedicating time to care for your little one, you might start to feel bored with the monotonous daily routine. Thus, choosing to go back to work again might be a good idea.
However, returning to work after becoming a housewife can bring a big challenge and cause a dilemma. Though you used to be a successful career woman and passionate about your job, with the time that has passed you might lose the confidence you once had.
It’s normal to feel a little scared and nervous when deciding to return to work after taking a career break. But there are things you can do to push away these doubts. Check out the tips below to help build your confidence for returning to work after becoming a housewife!
1. Find Excitement to Get Back to Work
The initial step in regaining self-confidence when returning to work is to rekindle your enthusiasm for your job. Even a short break, whether it’s months or years, can sometimes instill a fear that our work skills might have diminished during our time as a housewife.
To stop this from happening, you should rediscover the enthusiasm you once had as a career woman. Reach out to former colleagues or invite past supervisors for a catch-up session. Reconnecting with individuals who have connections with your past self as a career woman can help to rebuild your connection with work.
2. Develop New Skills
Another step in building confidence for your preparation to return to work is to recognize and leverage the new skills you’ve developed while being at home with your children. Parenting can enhance your creativity, problem-solving abilities, multitasking, and time management skills. Even if these skills might not be immediately recognized in your new workplace, however, you can certainly apply and showcase these valuable skills when you return to work.
It is also great if you can slot in some time to attend online classes that are relevant to the field of work you are pursuing in between your time as a housewife. Nowadays there are lots of online courses you can enroll in, which can help to improve your work knowledge and update your skills. Being able to acquire new skills will help to give added confidence before delving into the world of work again.
3. Start as a Part Timer or Freelancer
The next tip for building confidence to return to work is to begin your work journey as a part-time or freelancer first. These two kinds of jobs are usually more open to negotiating flexible hours. Start small first and try to adjust yourself before becoming a full-time worker.
4. Find the Right Time to Work Again
The next tip for building confidence to return to work is to carefully consider the timing of your return. There’s no universally “right” time, especially if you have children. It might be hard to find the ideal moment to re-enter the workforce.
Not to mention, you might have to face the pros and cons for people around you regarding your choice to get back to work. The best way to tackle this is by taking the time to reflect and think through your decision. This will help ensure you can make the right choice for you and your family.
5. Practice Good Time Management
Try to plan wisely how you will manage your time between work, family, and yourself. This is important so you can maintain a healthy balance. After deciding to go to work, you might get swamped immediately by work and daily life, thus you do not have any time for yourself. If you don’t want to get burnout or severe stress due to this, it is important to ensure you practice good time management after deciding to go back to work.
6. Be Confident in How You Look
Taking care of yourself, including your physical appearance can increase your self-confidence as a working woman after taking a career break. Though there’s a saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” -but often people will do so, especially in a work setting.
When you wear clothing that screams professional and stylish, people will tend to respect you. Thus splurging for yourself by purchasing new professional and stylish work attire can be the best choice to help increase your confidence.
If you can, avoid going back to work with the same work attire you once had. Indulging in shopping for work attire will not only ensure you can look your best on the first day at work, but it can also help you feel good about yourself.
7. Believe in Yourself
Last, but not least, it is a must for you to believe that you have valuable skills and experience that can help the company to achieve success. Even if you have taken time off to become a stay-at-home mom, it does not mean that you lose all of your capabilities. Believe in yourself and your potential.
Give time to yourself as well to adjust slowly to your new work routine. It is normal to need time to adapt to your new job. Thus, don’t be too hard on yourself. Believe that every small step towards returning to the workforce is something to be proud of.
Here are some of the ultimate things you can do to increase self-confidence when deciding to go back to work after taking a career break. Don’t forget to also seek support from family, friends, and most importantly from your partner. They can provide emotional support which is very important during this process of adapting!
Returning to the workforce after becoming a stay-at-home mom may be challenging, but by following these steps, you can rebuild your self-confidence and achieve success in your career!