Re-Entry Anxiety: How To Ease Back Into Work After A Break

As an invisible disabilities blogger with a focus on mental health and self-care, it would be an injustice not to discuss re-entry anxiety. Anyone who has had to take a long period of time away from work or education might understand how this hits. Therefore, I want to make this hit like a pillow rather than a brick to the face.

 

 

What Is Re-Entry Anxiety

 

Whether we’ve been out of the workforce or education because we’ve been a full-time parent, been on extended sick leave, or been on benefits for whatever reason, going back to work or education after a long period can be overwhelming.

 

We might be worried about whether we’ll be able to cope or be worried about what our colleagues/peers might think (Mind, n.d.). This concern about returning to employment or education is known as re-entry anxiety, and it is a common phenomenon that can affect people of all ages and backgrounds.

 

Unfortunately, women are disproportionally affected by re-entry anxiety because they’re more likely to take a career break or have to step back because of maternity and childcare. We live in a world where it can often be more cost-effective for one parent not to work than it is for all the parents to work and have to pay for childcare.

 

Obviously, there’s nothing wrong with taking a career break or taking time off to be a parent, as long as it’s your choice to do so. Career breaks can also be a great tool to take time out from work (Minter, 2014), such as to have a break or explore other options. Regardless of why a break was taken, re-entry anxiety can be a barrier.

 

A study by Wiant (1997) involved 16 female participants who were reentering education and sought to understand their thoughts and feelings about doing this. The study found, unsurprisingly, that the participants were anxious about their return to education and were also concerned about fitting in with classmates they assumed would be younger than they were.

 

A fair few of my clients have often expressed this concern with developing their skills, reentering education, and changing careers. Luckily, I have my own experience of reentering education that I could share to help mitigate some of this re-entry anxiety. I didn’t start my undergraduate degrees until I was 25, and many people on my course were older than I was. This is important because education isn’t just for children, teens, and young adults; it’s for everyone.

 

 

One global example of re-entry anxiety was caused by covid. Most people around the world had to adjust to a new way of living as part of their self-care to avoid getting infected and infecting others with covid. For many of us, this also came with a new way of working, namely, many of us got to work from home. It wasn’t an easy transition for everyone, and people could easily feel isolated by this new way of living.

 

However, we eventually had to return to normal, but understandably, this also wasn’t going to be easy for everyone (Wiederhold, 2022). A lot of people, during the return to the “norm”, had to deal with re-entry anxiety. Some of us wouldn’t go back without a fight, leading to many of us still working remotely or working a hybrid style years later.

 

It doesn’t matter our age, our sex, our gender identity, or whatever our background might be, we can all experience re-entry anxiety. Even children. According to Hen (2022), studies have shown that children and adolescents who re-enter education after a long duration of hospitalisation experience adjustment issues, such as re-entry anxiety, depression, alienation, and withdrawal.

 

When it comes to people with health, mental health, and disabilities, re-entry anxiety may add an extra layer of difficulty. This is because some people may have experienced prolonged isolation, become hypervigilant, and may have been confined to one area for long periods (Seigler, 2021). This was pretty much how my re-entry anxiety worked, even though I’d also worked as a volunteer for years. Going into paid employment was a different level, and it came with a fear of failure and impostor syndrome.

 

A simple but apt definition of re-entry anxiety comes from Furness (2023), who defined it as a radical change to our routine and as having a sense of uncertainty. In fact, it may be more beneficial to think of re-entry anxiety as an adjustment disorder (Seigler, 2021).

 

 

Causes Of Re-entry Anxiety

 

The loss of routine and structure

When we leave employment or education, we may find that we lose the structure and routine that these provide. This can make it difficult to get back into the swing of things when we return to employment and education as well, especially if the break from them has been substantial.

 

The fear of the unknown

Returning to work or education can be a daunting prospect, especially if we have been out of work and education for a long time. We may be concerned about how we’ll cope with the demands of our new employment or role of being a student. The potential changes that might have occurred in our absence from the industry, or the expectations of your colleagues, boss, lecturers, or peers, are also unknown factors.

 

In Australia, Long and West (2007) performed a study to investigate why registered nurses were reluctant to return to the profession. They found that their re-entry anxiety revolved around their concerns of feeling out of touch and being fearful of changes that happened while they weren’t in nursing.

 

The fear of failure

It is natural to fear failing, especially when returning to work or education after a long break. We may worry that we won’t be able to perform as well as we used to or that we won’t be able to keep up with the pace upon our re-entry. This also has links with perfectionism, procrastination, and impostor syndrome, which we might also want to reflect on and work on to help manage our re-entry anxiety.

 

Fear of rejection

Worrying about facing rejection during the job search, in the workplace due to the employment gap, or because there might be an age gap when returning to education is common. This is especially true when job hunting, where at the best of times it’s a numbers game. Thus, this is likely to be a factor in our re-entry anxiety.

 

 

The fear of change

The world of work and education is constantly changing, and returning to employment or becoming a student can mean dealing with new technologies, new processes, and new ways of doing things. This can be overwhelming, especially if we’re not used to change.

 

Adjustment anxiety

Worries about adjusting to the demands of work or the education environment after a break can be a strong factor in re-entry anxiety.

 

Fear of skill decay

When a long break is involved, even sometimes after a short break due to annual leave, there can be concerns about skills becoming dulled or outdated during the absence (Long and West, 2007).

 

Performance anxiety

Again, after a break of any length, there can be a fear of not meeting expectations or struggling to perform at previous levels.

 

Self-confidence

The longer we’re away from work and education, the more likely we’re going to experience a lack of confidence in our abilities.

 

Work/study-life balance

Concerns about reintegrating into work or education and taking on new commitments and responsibilities will put our personal life at odds with our work/study-life balance. This can be a difficult adjustment and a factor in our re-entry anxiety.

 

 

How To Ease Back Into Work And Overcome Your Re-Entry Anxiety

 

Another study, this time by Filipponi-Berardinelli (2013), involved five female participants (aged 31-52) who were undergoing reentry into education, and found those participants benefited from the experiences. The participants reported that returning to education was personally satisfying and enhanced their opportunities for fulfilment and growth.

 

Although a small study size was used, I still believe it does a good job of highlighting how, once you’re past the initial barrier of re-entry anxiety, you can benefit from the experience. Therefore, if any of us are feeling anxious about returning to employment or education, there are several things we can do to manage our fears and increase our chances of success.

 

Research

It can be a good idea to do some research before applying for a job so we can learn about the latest trends in that industry and the skills that are in demand. This will help us to tailor our resumes and cover letters to the specific requirements of the jobs we are applying for. It can also help with building our confidence as well as identifying any skills we might want to start learning during this process.

 

Know your rights

When returning to our place of work or to education after an absence on health grounds, it’s advisable to talk with our employer to make sure they’re ready for our return and have any support we need in place. According to Acas (2024), your employer should have a returning to work (absence) policy.

 

Typically, we should have a return-to-work meeting, which is an informal chat with our line manager, to help with our return to work. This can often mean that we have the option of reduced workloads, phased returns, and other strategies to help us ease back into our roles.

 

 

Head first

One way to tackle our re-entry fear is to take it head-on, but at our own pace (Wiederhold, 2022). Basically, exposure therapy. This might be returning to our workplace or place of education before restarting just to blow away that first-day anxiety. If returning to education, then going to an open day might be useful or scheduling a meeting with the tutor or course lead.

 

As previously stated, re-entry anxiety goes away quite quickly once we’ve started the re-entry. Try not to let that leap into uncertainty hold us back, by removing some of that uncertainty.

 

Goal setting

One way to help us manage our re-entry anxiety is to set goals. This can be a useful way to see how well you’re reintegrating back into work or into education. Plus, who doesn’t like ticking off little achievements for a nice mood boost?

 

Comparisons

We never win when we make comparisons, so try to avoid making comparisons with our peers who may or may not have advanced in our absence. Instead, if we can’t help but make comparisons, make comparisons with the person we were before re-entry so we can see how our readjustment is going.

 

Interviews

The more you practise, the more confident we will be when you go to interviews. There are many resources available to help us practise, such as online mock interviews and sample interview questions. I have an article on how to get through interviews if you have mental health issues that can also be useful here. You can find that by clicking here.

 

It can also be worthwhile to prepare for interviews by highlighting transferable skills and knowledge gained during the break and emphasising enthusiasm for returning to work or starting back in education.

 

 

Skill remastery

Self-doubt around job and education skills after a gap can be a pain, but sometimes it’s more of a psychological issue than a practical one. However, it doesn’t hurt to build our confidence in our skills. So, if we’re able to, try using those skills as part of getting ready for our re-entry into education or employment.

 

For example, if we’re re-entering education and doing a course that might require maths skills, then we could practise maths at home or even do a short refresher course beforehand.

 

Build your network

Networking can be a great way to learn about job opportunities and to get our foot in the door with potential employers. Attend industry events, join professional organisations, and connect with people on LinkedIn. This can also help with managing any social anxieties after not interacting with our peers from within your field in a while.

 

The same goes for our return to work. Try to be proactive in introducing ourselves to new people at work or our fellow students so we can build a network.

 

Integrating

Re-entry anxiety is best looked at through the fear of fitting back into a structured schedule or being accepted by your peers. Therefore, we need to permit ourselves to re-acclimate gradually. There’s no rush.

 

 

Start small

If we’re starting to feel overwhelmed by our re-entry anxiety, then start by looking for part-time, temporary work, or volunteer roles to help us get used to working. When it comes to education, engaging in free learning courses online can be an option for getting used to that writing style and taking tests. There are other ways you can help build your confidence.

 

As I said, doing some volunteer work can be a great way to shake the cobwebs off, working as a form of exposure therapy for our re-entry anxiety. However, be careful not to get too comfortable there, as it might stop us from progressing to paid employment as it did me.

 

Challenge

Some level of anxiety is to be expected when facing life changes, such as re-entry into work or education. However, it is important to distinguish between reasonable levels of anxiety and those that may signal something more serious (Wiederhold, 2022).

 

But at the same time, you also need to distinguish if the anxious thoughts are even realistic. It’s fairly common for our anxious thoughts and worries to be based on completely improbable things. One way to do that is to challenge our worries and negative thoughts, such as through using thought challenges.

 

Expectations

A lot of our re-entry anxiety, and our anxiety in general, can come from a place of trying to meet others’ expectations. However, we shouldn’t be bound by the expectations of others, so we should try to figure out what are healthy and unhealthy expectations for us and work towards those, as that can help with our re-entry anxiety.

 

For example, if we’ve had a lengthy break from work for health reasons, then our workplace isn’t going to expect us to come back and be firing at 110% the moment we set foot in our workplace. Especially if we’ve arranged a phased return (Acas, 2024).

 

 

Reflect

Reflect on our negative thoughts and beliefs to see if they’re based in truth or not, and if they are, work on how to address those issues so they’re no longer issues.

 

Acceptance

It’s tempting to avoid uncomfortable feelings, but more often than not, that doesn’t have the desired effect (Wiederhold, 2022). Instead of trying to ignore and avoid our re-entry anxiety, acknowledge them. This can also help to identify causes that you can work on to reduce the anxiety it causes. By acknowledging them, we’ll also be better attuned to how these feelings reduce as we reintegrate.

 

Seek professional help

If our re-entry anxiety is too severe and is interfering with our quality of life, then it is important to seek professional help (Wiederhold, 2022). A therapist can help us identify the root of our anxiety and help us develop coping mechanisms for them. There’s nothing wrong with seeking out professional help, as that’s exactly what they’re there for.

 

It can also be useful to contact your GP or hospital doctor so they can provide you with a fit note for your return to work. A fit note will be a statement by them where they share their opinion on your return to work and suggest what reasonable adjustments your employer could make to make that transition easier (Mind, n.d.).

 

Another option is to get a referral to occupational health (Mind, n.d.). An occupational health worker can help us create a back-to-work plan, thus making your re-entry easier for us.

 

 

Kindness

At every step of managing our re-entry anxiety, it’s important not to forget to treat ourselves with kindness. This is something that all too often is forgotten about.

 

Skill enhancement

Embrace training with an eagerness to learn upon your return to work or as preparation for a return to work, but also because lifelong learning is good for us in general.

 

Self-care

Prioritise self-care to manage our re-entry anxiety and the stress that’s likely to come with that. Even after our re-entry is complete, try to maintain a healthy work/life balance by using self-care.

 

 

Summary

 

Returning to work or education after a long period of time can definitely elicit worries, but the right support and strategies can ease the transition. So whether we’ve been out of employment or education for a while or been on sick leave, maternity leave, paternity leave, or have been on a break for whatever reason, there are strategies out there that can support us through our re-entry anxiety, strategies such as the ones mentioned in this article.

 

Remember, you are not alone. Many people experience the fear of going back into employment and education. It’s normal to feel apprehensive about returning to work or education. The first weeks back are a process requiring grit and self-compassion, and these are likely to be the worst weeks. But over time, with consistent commitment, our confidence will return, and our re-entry anxiety will melt away. Let such challenges allow you to grow. You’ve got this!

 

If you’re in the mood for more content on this topic, check out my companion piece, where I talk about my experience in more detail. You can find that companion article here.

 

As always, leave your feedback in the comments section below. Also, please share your experiences with re-entry anxiety in the comments section below. Don’t forget, if you want to stay up-to-date with my blog, you can sign up for my newsletter below. Alternatively, click the red bell icon in the bottom right corner to get push notifications for new articles.

 

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References

 

Acas. (2024, July). Returning to work after absence. Acas. Retrieved from https://www.acas.org.uk/returning-to-work-after-absence.

Filipponi-Berardinelli, J. O. (2013). Exploring Efficacy in Negotiating Support: Women Re-Entry Students in Higher Education. College Quarterly, 16(2), n2. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1016456.pdf.

Furness, A. (2023, September). Returning to the workplace – Re-entry anxiety. In Equilibrium. Retrieved from https://www.in-equilibrium.co.uk/returning-to-the-workplace-re-entry-anxiety.

Hen, M. (2022). Mothers’ and teachers’ experience of school re‐entry after a child’s prolonged absence due to severe illness. Psychology in the Schools, 59(6), 1122-1134. Retrieved from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pits.22666, https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22666, and https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1002/pits.22666.

Long, J., & West, S. (2007). Returning to nursing after a career break: elements of successful re-entry. The Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 25(1), 49-55. Retrieved from https://www.ajan.com.au/archive/Vol25/Vol25.1-7.pdf.

Mind. (n.d.) How to be mentally healthy at work. Mind. Retrieved from https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/tips-for-everyday-living/how-to-be-mentally-healthy-at-work/returning-to-work.

Minter, H. (2014, March). 70% of women fear taking a career break. The Guardian. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/women-in-leadership/2014/mar/25/70-of-women-fear-taking-a-career-break.

Seigler, D. (2021, July). Reentry anxiety. Psychiatric Times. Retrieved from https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/reentry-anxiety.

Wiant, F. M. (1997). A study of collaborative writing response groups and writing anxiety among female community college re-entry students (Doctoral dissertation, University of Colorado at Denver). Retrieved from https://digital.auraria.edu/files/pdf?fileid=b339c564-71e2-4783-912e-ee5689d101ed.

Wiederhold, B. K. (2022). Post-COVID re-entry anxiety: off to work we go. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 25(7), 407-408. Retrieved from https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/cyber.2022.29252.editorial.