Summary: Returning to work after a baby is hard! Doing that during a pandemic seems really hard! Will transitioning back to an office full time feel like as big of a change as returning from maternity leave? These are all things that are addressed in this week’s episode with Lori Mihalich-Levin. Lori was so unprepared for her transition back into the workforce having her sons that she wrote a book and created a program to help others navigating that challenging time. She has four pillars in her book and program for returning to work and those are: mindfulness, logistics, leadership, and community. These are not only anchors for returning to work but that she uses for any major life transition. They totally relate to COVID life as well. Lori Mihalich-Levin, JD, is an advocate for working parents and the founder of Mindful Return, a program that helps new parents return to work after parental leave. She is also a health care partner in BigLaw, the Chief Operating Officer of the Women's Leadership Forum, the author of Back to Work After Baby: How to Plan and Navigate a Mindful Return from Maternity Leave, and mama to two boys, ages 7 and 9. Things we talk about in the episode: Normalizing the working parent experience by talking about it! And the importance of seeking out other working parents in your organization to create community. How working motherhood is the true demonstration of leadership skills; empathy, negotiation skills, managing multiple priorities and tasks at the same time, etc. Productivity hacks like the Pomodoro Method, MIT - most important tasks, and the Eisenhower Matrix. The mental load is heavier now more than ever for Career Moms, signup for Robyn Miller’s course “The Mental Load Project” to begin balancing the load within your household. Use the code CAREERMOM to access an additional session with Robyn and I to focus on the Career Mom Mental Load. mentalloadproject.com/signup Connect with Lori www.mindfulreturn.com Follow her on instagram: @mindfulreturn Buy her book: Amazon: Back to Work After Baby Listen to her podcast: Parents at Work Join the Career Mom conversation on Instagram @careermompodcast Join the Career Mom Facebook group Career Mom Facebook Group If you have a story or topic you want to share contact Jenny by email careermompodcast@gmail.com Sign up for a free 30 day trial of Audible. audibletrial.com/CareerMom Music Credit: Campfire by Scandinavianz: soundcloud.com/scandinavianz
