LOST MY WORK MOJO AFTER BECOMING MUM

Dear Coleen

I had my daughter two and a half years ago and gave up a dynamic career to look after her. I had no regrets at the time because I really wanted to be a mum, but now I want to get back into the workforce.

The only trouble is – the pandemic aside – I’ve lost my confidence. I used to boss it at work and very little fazed me, but I’ve been applying for loads of jobs and although I’ve had a couple of interviews online, nothing has come of it.

In lockdown, I also struggled with being on call 24 hours a day, as my daughter couldn’t go to nursery, while my husband was locked away in the spare room working.

I kind of resented him for it. I feel I’ve lost my identity and don’t know how to get it back.

Dear Coleen

Don’t give up. The more interviews you get, the more confidence you’ll gain – and the less bothered you’ll be about the rejections.

It’s a tough time to look for a new job, and you have to try not to take these knockbacks personally.

There could be a whole host of reasons why you didn’t get the jobs you applied for, so it’s a good idea to ask for feedback.

Feeling you’ve lost touch with yourself since becoming a mum is a pretty universal issue.

Parenthood totally changes your life – how you feel about yourself, your relationship, your career and the world in general.

It’s a big shift in lifestyle and it takes some getting used to. You have a different set of priorities and fitting work into the mix is challenging. But it does get easier as your child gets older.

Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’re doing a great job, you have a lovely daughter and you’re starting to reclaim something for yourself – keep going.