Returning to work after kids isn’t just a logistics problem. It’s an identity shift.

You go back to work.

On paper, everything looks fine.

But underneath that, it feels harder than it should.

You’re more tired than you thought you’d be.

Things that used to feel simple take more effort.

You’re questioning yourself in ways you didn’t before.

And the guilt. At home and at work.

 

I was invited back onto 89.9 The Light to talk about returning to work, burnout and what’s really going on for mothers in this transition.

If you’re in this season, or heading towards it, this is for you.

Here’s what we covered:

 

The Reality Working Mothers are Walking Into

You’ve changed, but in most cases, workplace expectations haven’t.

Women are stepping back into environments that still expect full availability and consistent performance, while their lives now require something very different. Women may also want something very different.

That tension is where a lot of the pressure sits, and it’s often internalised as “I should be coping better than this.”

 

Loss of Confidence After Maternity Leave

Am I still capable?

Can I keep up?

Do I know enough now?

Will I be able to cope?

 

In the interview, we spoke about how motherhood creates real changes in the brain. Nothing is wrong. Your brain has adapted and now prioritises different things.

But it doesn’t mean you’re less capable or knowledgeable. Understanding this is so important for women.

 

Working Mum Burnout: Early Signs

Burnout doesn’t appear suddenly. It builds in the background through constant pressure, limited recovery and trying to meet expectations that no longer fit.

Women don’t recognise it straight away. They just notice that everything feels harder. In the interview, we discussed some of the signs of burnout.

 

Why “Doing it All” Doesn’t Work Anymore

One of my favourite parts of the conversation was about how to avoid burnout.

It’s not by doing more.

We get off the path to burnout by asking ourselves “what actually matters to me right now?”

Not what you think you should be doing, or what you’ve always done.

From there, different decisions start to become available in relation to your time, your standards and your expectations of yourself.

 

If You’re Feeling Lost in This Season

This stage of motherhood can feel disorienting and uncomfortable. This isn’t a sign that you’re doing anything wrong. It’s a sign something is changing. Your matrescence doesn’t have a fixed timeline. It’s an evolution, and it impacts your return to work just like it impacts every other area of your life.

 

Listen to the Full Conversation on Working Motherhood and Burnout

In the full interview, we go deeper into:

• The fears women carry when returning to work
• What’s happening beneath the loss of confidence
• How burnout shows up
• What helps (and doesn’t) when you’re in this stage.

 

Listen to the full interview here:

 

 

 

---

Watch the full interview here:

 

 

 

If this resonates, you might also like this radio interview about matrescence and why motherhood can feel so much harder than we expect.