I had a fair few weeks off following my bereavement (a few months ago) and whilst I’m mostly feeling better, as in - there are better days but sometimes the grief still hits me out of nowhere and knocks me for six, plus ongoing family conflict relating the death are just making me a really terrible employee. I frankly just don’t really care about work - which is not usual for me, I always used to love working and put my all in. But often now I’m either stressed and can’t focus, or haven’t slept (awake until 3am last night) and am shattered.
work are supportive, but I feel guilty about lack of productivity. Some days where I haven’t slept well I don’t end up logging on until later or spend much of the day avoiding doing very much.
I don’t feel I can afford to take much more time off - partly due to pay and not wanting to use up all my paid leave, and also feeling like I am letting people down (colleagues and clients).
im trying to prioritise getting good sleep, eating well, moving every day. But the things that have happened are so traumatic and the current conflict is so stressful, it feels very difficult to overcome.
Should I Be upfront and honest with work? I feel like I’m going under the radar a bit at the moment which does help but then I feel guilty on top of everything else.
Find bereavement help and support from other Mumsnetters.
Bereavement
Work in the months following grief - the guilt of not performing well
Stressedashell · 03/04/2024 08:30
GoodOldEmmaNess · 04/04/2024 08:28
I feel just the same as you, OP. And am I right in thinking that, like me, you are working from home? In my experience that makes everything harder. You aren't caught up in the office structures that help to impose (at least partial) concentration and compartmentalisation.
I feel like I am at around a quarter of what should be my productivity. My employer is understanding, and some days I do openly say that I haven't been able to do XYZ because of my state of mind. But really all his concessions and goodwill just make my sense of guilt even worse.
I haven't got any solutions to offer, but sometimes it is useful just to have your difficulties validated. It isn't because of any personal failings that your productivity is low. It is because your brain is a bit broken. You really can only do part of what your job requires. It is your employer's job to work out how to manage that. If they value you as an employee they will probably be happy to take your partial productivity for now. Or, if that isn't right for them, they need to take the initiative and work out a strategy with you. Your responsibility is only to do what you can and be honest about your limitations
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.