Back to work after 6 years - job now feels beyond me

[Chocolateyclaire76]

After taking 6 years out, i’ve returned back to the same industry and role but I just don’t feel capable any more. I can’t seem to retain information and I don’t seem to care about the role anymore.

Has anyone felt this way after a longer time away from the office?

Maybe it’s time to change direction?

Feeling a bit lost and despondent!

How long have you been back? I've done a fair bit of work with people returning to work (and done it myself) and it can take a long time to feel OK again. At least 6 months and often over a year.

It’s coming up to 3 months now. It’s not even leaving the little ones, and things like that, I just feel like i’ve changed so much as a person and now the job is beyond me!

Yes I have experienced this. Felt I was totally lost and just not up to it anymore. A mixture of not really caring so much about my previous career and 5 years out of the game.

Well I can confirm that I was up to it and a few months after returning I felt I was equally as good as before. So it's just a matter of practice, like forgetting how to write during the summer holidays... of course you can still write!!!

However my love of my career did not return but that's another matter.

Basically it's not rocket science (unless you're a rocket scientist?) and you'll easily get back to your previous performance and better. You just need some time to adjust.

3 months is still really early days. It does get better and most people I know have felt they've got back into it. It sounds like it might be a bit early for any big decisions unless it's so unbearable you feel you can't ride it out.

Everyone I know who returned from maternity leave had a crisis of confidence. I did too. You need to just hang in there and it will improve- it's really tough and stressful though, I know.