Why we're not aiming for work-life balance with Jessica Chivers - Ep 73

Many of us will take extended leave during our careers. It could be maternity or shared parental leave, sickness or sabbatical, family caregiving or just a much-needed career break. Unfortunately, the reality is that extended leave can result in feelings of isolation, being left behind, starting again on the back foot or having to downgrade our careers. Jessica Chivers, coaching psychologist and founder of The Talent Keeper Specialists, wants to make sure everyone feels connected, cared for and confident during extended leave and the transition back to work. In this episode we discussed: The positives and benefits of taking extended leave and feeling confident about it Why we don’t like the terms work-life balance and imposter syndrome Creating your ideal work life blend when you transition back to work How to negotiate sharing the load within your household so you can be your best at work Focusing on output, flexibility and managing energy rather than contracted hours Make sure you download the Comeback Community free Career Fuel Guide that Jessica shares in this episode: https://comebackcommunity.co.uk/careerfuel/ MORE ABOUT JESSICA Jessica is a coaching psychologist, author of “Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on guilt and make a smooth return to work” and host of the Comeback Coach podcast. She’s also the founder of The Talent Keeper Specialists, a business whose mission is to keep everyone everywhere feeling confident, connected and cared for when they take extended leave from work. Their clients are forward-thinking employers such as ITV, CIPD, BlackRock and Lily’s Kitchen. CONNECT WITH JESSICA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicachivers/ The Talent Keeper Specialists: https://www.talentkeepers.co.uk/ Comeback Community: https://comebackcommunity.co.uk Comeback Coach Podcast: https://comebackcommunity.co.uk/comeback-coach/ Mothers Work! How to Get a Grip on Guilt and Make a Smooth Return to Work: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1848503199?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwbeyoubutbe-21&link_code=as3&camp=2506&creative=9298&creativeASIN=1848503199 HELPFUL LINKS She's Back: Your guide to returning to work: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shes-Back-Your-guide-returning/dp/1911583565 How To Have A Good Day: The essential toolkit for a productive day at work and beyond: https://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Have-Good-Day-productive/dp/1447276515 Ep 36 - Returning from parental leave with confidence with Lizzie Martin: https://carla-miller.mykajabi.com/blog/ep-36-returning-from-parental-leave-with-confidence-with-lizzie-martin Ep 55 - Menopause in the workplace with Deborah Garlick: