How to Get Back to Work After a Serious Injury?

If your injury occurred at work, then it might be quite nerve-racking to step back into action after a period of recovery. Nevertheless, you can and should be able to go back to work once your doctor has given you the green light if you are feeling ready for it. Here are some ways to prepare yourself for getting back to work after a serious injury.

Keep Regular Contact

To maintain confidence that you are still able to perform the job well, you should keep in contact with your employer and team to ensure that you don’t fall behind with the progress that is being made by the company. Do this by asking for regular updates each week via email or ask to be included in weekly meetings, virtually, so that you can take part in conversations and put forward your opinions. In some cases, employers might be able to negotiate a new contract for you where you can begin to work from home to slowly ease you back into work.

Build Back Your Confidence

If you haven’t been able to keep up to date with affairs at work, your confidence might have taken a hit, which can affect your ability to perform the job well once you return. If this is the case, there are ways to build back your confidence, such as reviewing your purpose. This means focusing on the reasons why people should listen to you and recalling why you are such a significant part of the company. Once you have done this, you will be more likely to feel more confident about speaking up. You might also want to consider preparing for meetings and conversations in advance to be able to confidently come up with the right answers and keep your thoughts on track so that you can stay relaxed.

Ask for Support

You may be entitled to some additional support before you head back to work from a QRC. What is a QRC, you might ask? Well, it is a qualified rehabilitation consultant, who is assigned to help you get back to work following an injury if you are living in Minnesota. You might also want to ask for additional support from one of your co-workers who can act as your wingman in meetings by inviting you into conversations until you feel comfortable enough speaking up by yourself.

Prepare for the Worst, Expect the Best

It is important for your mental health to stay positive and ensure that you look forward to recovery rather than dwelling on the incident. Nevertheless, you might also want to prepare for the worst-case scenario in which you are not able to go back to your previous job. This might be due to no longer being physically able or because your place of work found a replacement which can both be disheartening outcomes. If you have prepared for this though, you can end up feeling much more content.

Coming back to work after an injury doesn’t need to be a negative experience; follow these steps to feel more confident, prepared, and supported throughout this whole process.