4 Mindset Shifts for a More Sustainable Return to Work After Maternity Leave
Isabel Theissen founded &BEYOND, a maternity transition consultancy. She helps organizations create more structured, sustainable maternity transitions while guiding women through the personal and professional shifts that accompany motherhood.
Returning to work after maternity leave can bring a mix of emotions. Excitement. Uncertainty. Guilt. Anxiety. Sometimes, all of them at once. For many women, the return also comes with an unspoken expectation: to pick up where they left off, regain their previous pace, and prove that motherhood hasn't affected their professional commitment. But what if we approached the transition differently?
What if returning to work wasn't about bouncing back, but about moving forward with a clearer understanding of what matters, how we want to work, and who we are becoming?
Through my work as a Motherhood & Leadership Coach at &BEYOND, the Maternity Transition Consultancy, I've supported many women as they navigate this transition and the questions that come with it.
Here are four mindset shifts that can help you approach your return to work and the chapter beyond with greater intention:
1. Instead of fighting anxiety, get curious about it
If you're currently dreading your return date, my first suggestion might sound counterintuitive: lean into the anxiety instead of trying to push it away. Rather than telling yourself to calm down or stop worrying, get curious about what is actually causing the anxiety.
Are you worried about childcare arrangements? How you'll manage breastfeeding or pumping when you're back at the office? Or whether you've fallen behind professionally? Or how you'll balance the demands of work and family?
Anxiety can feel overwhelming when it's experienced as one big, undefined concern. Breaking it down can help you understand what is really going on. Understanding the root of your anxiety gives you an opportunity to take action.
You might need to clarify your childcare arrangements, talk with your manager, or start thinking about how to structure your workdays.
You may not be able to resolve every concern immediately. But taking action where you can often helps restore a sense of control and safety.
2. Redefine what success means to you now
Returning to work can also be an opportunity to reconsider what success means to you during this new chapter. We often associate professional success with growth, achievement, productivity, and ambition. These things can be meaningful, but they don't tell the whole story.
Through motherhood, your definition of success may become more personal, embracing meaningful work while also leading a joyful life aligned with your values and priorities.
Especially during the return phase, I like to focus on creating what I call ‘sustainable success’. It rewrites the idea that success consists of momentary achievements and expands the definition to creating success that lasts long-term by building a career and a life at a sustainable pace.
3. Your boundaries don't reduce your commitment, they can strengthen it
One concern women may have when returning to work is how to communicate new boundaries without appearing less committed or losing their ‘edge’. I would encourage a different way of looking at this: quality over quantity.
Spending fewer hours working doesn't automatically mean you're less committed. What matters is the value of your contribution.
Even in our own businesses, we can become caught up in activities that make us feel busy without meaningfully moving things forward. We create more work, attend more meetings, and take on more responsibilities, sometimes to prove our commitment, even when those activities don't contribute to our actual goals.
Motherhood can challenge that pattern. It can shift how you value your time. With new responsibilities and less flexibility, many women become more intentional about what matters, how they make decisions, and what they focus on. There's less room for unnecessary tasks and activities that don't contribute to what you're trying to achieve.
Of course, this doesn't mean every mother automatically becomes more efficient, or that working fewer hours is always possible. Workplace support and expectations matter. But you can reconsider how you demonstrate commitment.
Boundaries can also shape how your commitment and time are valued. Communicating your boundaries clearly, delivering meaningful work, and being intentional about your contribution can hence support a professional identity that is both committed and sustainable.
4. Recognize the strengths motherhood brings to your leadership
Motherhood can introduce skills and perspectives that extend far beyond family life. Prioritization. Patience. Adaptability. Decision-making under pressure. The ability to distinguish what matters from what doesn't.
These aren't necessarily new skills for every mother, nor are they exclusive to motherhood. But the experience can change how we apply them and how we value them.
When time becomes more limited, prioritization matters more. Letting go of what doesn't genuinely contribute to your goals can sharpen your focus, improve the quality of your work, and create space for growth. It’s an opportunity to reconsider how you work, what you value, and where your energy has the greatest impact.
Moving beyond the return
The transition back to work is not just about getting through the first day, the first week, or the first few months. It's about navigating a new chapter. A chapter in which your priorities may have changed, your relationship with work may have evolved, and your understanding of success may look different.
You don't need to have everything figured out before you return. But you can begin by asking yourself:
What do I need?
What matters to me now?
How can I create a way of working that supports the life I want to lead?
These questions are at the heart of my work through &BEYOND, The Maternity Transition Consultancy, where I support women and organizations in creating more structured, consistent, and sustainable maternity transitions. Because returning to work is just the beginning.
Start here: Explore the Maternity Leave & Beyond Guide
Are you preparing for maternity leave or navigating your return to work? I've created a free Maternity Leave & Beyond Guide to help you approach the transition with greater clarity and intention. Download your copy here.
Read more from Isabel Theissen
Isabel Theissen, Motherhood & Leadership Coach
Isabel Theissen is the founder of &BEYOND, the maternity transition consultancy. She helps organizations create more structured, sustainable maternity transitions while guiding women through the personal and professional shifts that accompany motherhood. Her approach combines professional expertise, research, and lived experience of navigating motherhood alongside a corporate career, giving her a grounded understanding of the realities of this transition. Isabel challenges the idea of a simple “bounce back” after maternity leave, instead defining the return as a leadership transition that requires structured processes and intentional support. Through &BEYOND, she helps organizations move from well-intentioned policy to meaningful implementation, supporting talent retention, strengthening leadership pipelines, and creating more inclusive, sustainable ways of working.
