When and how to take a leave of absence from work?
Hey -
I'm 3 years out of undergrad and have been juggling quite a lot mentally. Lost my mom to breast cancer right after graduation and my father to pancreatic cancer just this year. I'd already been battling my own internal demons with depression + anxiety so this has definitely been difficult to manage, especially in the midst of COVID. I've been going full speed ahead into my career (started in Corp Strategy now in Big Tech) and I'm starting to feel really burnt out. I feel like I should consider taking medical leave / indefinite leave of absence from work but (1) I've never not stopped working and the thought of doing so makes me nervous and seems foreign to me, (2) I'm afraid of the ramifications leaving work temporarily will have on my career outlook, (3) I'm not even sure if not working would be conducive to my mental wellbeing; in a lot of ways I've welcomed having work to keep me busy / distracted from life, and (4) I'm afraid of how my colleagues and managers might view me once back (as incapable, a liability, etc.)
**** So, anyways I wanted to see if anyone here has ever taken a leave of absence for personal reasons. ****
Why'd you do it? How'd it go? What did you do in the meantime? How did you come back to work stronger and in a good place?
Thanks in advance
I have not taken a leave of absence from work personally, so I’m not sure I’m of much help here. I just want to wish you peace and strength.
These are tough times, and your situation sounds particularly tough. Getting through this will undoubtedly make you stronger, even if you feel you can’t do it.
Here’s some substantive advice: give it a month. Give yourself 30 days to really try to improve your mental well being - however you’ve done it in the past. Take it day by day. Tell you team you need a couple days off to sort some urgent personal matters if necessary.
Day by day - don’t get overwhelmed with work, stay as stoic as possible and do what you can every day. If you take it one day at a time, consciously attempting to improve your mental state, you may find that your general mood begins to improve.
If this doesn’t work - well then, you tried. You can’t lose much with another quick month. Shit goes by in a flash. If it comes down to it, have a discussion with a senior person on your team that you trust and ask for some time off to deal with serious personal matters, such as the passing of your parents.
Curious how this worked out for you? Did you take a leave? Hope you are doing well.
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