There are more than 800,000 Americans who have heart attacks each year. Some of them don’t ever go back to work after having these heart attacks.
But if you want to go back to work after a heart attack and you feel like you’re ready to work, you’re welcome to do it. But right before you make the decision to get back to work, you should make sure you’re 100% prepared for it.
The heart attack statistics show that about 20% of people who have one heart attack have a second one within five years. You can reduce the chances of this happening to you by steering clear of going back to work too fast after recovering from a heart attack.
Here is how you’ll know you’re ready to work again following a heart attack.
Your Doctor Tells You That You’re Ready to Work Again
If you’re considering returning to work after a heart attack, you should begin by talking to your doctor about doing it. They’re ultimately going to have to give you the all-clear before you can get back to work.
Your doctor is going to talk to you about your health prior to signing off on you going back to work. They’re also going to run some tests to ensure that your body is as ready to work as your mind is.
You Feel OK to Get Back to Work
In addition to getting the OK from your doctor when it comes to going back to work after suffering a heart attack, you should also do some soul-searching to see if you’re in the right frame of mind to work again. You don’t want to rush it and go back to work before you’re truly ready to do it.
You should up your daily activity—with your doctor’s blessing, of course—and see how it makes you feel. If you feel rundown after putting in just a little bit of work at home, it might be a sign that you’re still recovering from a heart attack and not ready to return to the grind.
You Have a Plan in Place for Keeping Your Stress Levels Down at Work
Almost all jobs come with a little stress. You’re not going to be able to eliminate all the stress created by your job from the equation.
But you should come up with a plan for managing your workplace stress. Otherwise, that stress could very well lead to you sustaining another heart attack. It’s why you should avoid it at all costs and refuse to go back to work until you’re sure that you can keep your stress levels in check.
If You’re Ready to Work Again, Start Taking Steps Towards Doing It
If you feel like you’re ready to work right now, you should make an appointment with your doctor to discuss it. They’ll let you know how they feel about you returning to work.
You should also speak with your employer about it. They might not want you to come back just yet if you haven’t spent enough time going through the heart attack recovery process.
You’ll need both of these parties to sign off on you going back to work. It’ll be the only way you can start working every day again.
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