Who is involved?

You work on Phase 2 together with your employer. Your employer benefits from getting you back as healthy as possible. It is good to regularly review what needs to be done, together. Both in the short term and the longer term.

 

Together you will have to continue to make adjustments so that your recovery will move on. It is very important to discuss this. Both from employer and employee.

 

Because knowledge is sometimes limited, it can help to involve objective parties. There are parties that can advise on what is good for your recovery. Think of your GP, your supervisor, but also an external burnout coach or an experience expert within the organization.

 

Some parties may be putting pressure on the recovery. Think of the company doctor, people from P&O and perhaps a team leader. Being under pressure isn’t bad in itself. Sometimes you have to be pushed a bit to move forward. However, if you experience too much pressure, you should discuss it.

 

It is often not meant badly, but people have too little knowledge and insight about recovering from a burn out.

 

Own experience

During my recovery, in the short term, I had a lot of contact with my team leader. Every day he asked me if I was okay. Often very briefly and sometimes just a glance and a thumb. But that was enough. I felt seen and he reacted immediately if I was concerned.

 

I also had a colleague who also had a burn out and who regularly held up a mirror to me. That was very nice.

 

In the longer term I was in contact with general practitioner, psychologist, company doctor and P&O. There were often discussed the rough lines within which my recovery could take place. The parties were involved but had different interests. The GP and psychologist were there for me, the company doctor and P&O were there more for the organisation. This sometimes led to confusion and ambiguity.

 

HR put pressure on my recovery. I found that annoying. It wasn’t going well for me and to put pressure on me was counterproductive. I discussed this with my team leader. He discussed this with P&O and eventually the pressure eased.

 

What’s positive?

Although it doesn’t always feel that way, I think most people want the best for you. No one wants to let this situation last longer than necessary. It is often a lack of knowledge that leads to confusion and ambiguity, so if that knowledge is there, it makes recovery easier.

 

In addition, it is quite positive that your GP and psychologist/counsellor are there for you. That feels safe. 

 

Tips:

1)     Calculate that there are several people involved with different interests

2)     Find a colleague who knows what’s coming your way

3)     If pressure feels uncomfortable, say it!

4)     Don’t take it too personally when things aren’t going well. Knowledge is often lacking

5)     Inform them how a burnout works, tell them what is going on.

 

 For the employer

It is of course important that the employee returns as good and healthy as possible. In addition, it is good to stay informed about how a burnout works and how the recovery goes.

It often happens that employers start pushing. On the pace, the content of work, the pressure on the organization, you name it. With that you are on slippery ice because the recovery takes much longer when you push too hard.

 

The employee may feel insecurity, shame, and pressure. With that, there is a good chance that he will make the wrong decisions. Not in line with his recovery. So be careful about pushing.

Among the staff there may be talk of gossip and chatter. The question of whether this contributes to the recovery seems to me to be superfluous.