I am due to go back to work today. i work at starbucks so it is a pretty stimulating environment. My shift is only 4 hours and I am hoping to do okay. I am usually very extroverted and run around getting a lot done. I know I will not be like that today!! I am trying to focus on doing well and making it through, but I dont want to overthink anything and psych myself out. Recovery-wise, I am still having overstimulation issues, although if I put in earplugs as Mark in Idaho suggested in another post (thanks!) I seem to do okay. I still have multitasking issues as well as the pounding in the head thing sometimes. I am finally to a pattern of 2 good days and then a crash day...sooo I am hoping that I am not overanalyzing things but I am a tad nervous! Sorry to ramble...thanks for listening!

I certainly understand your nervousness, particularly since you deal with the public. Try some mindfulness controlled breathing. Focus on the moment; acknowledge what you are feeling and that it's only 4 hours. If you have a good relationship with your co-workers acknowledge their assistance. It's a big step and it's normal to be anxious; I remember going back to work and resuming driving, which was also a little scary.

If you have trouble returning to work, you need to continue to rest. It would be best for your brain if you could return to work with zero symptoms - especially if you still have some FMLA time left.

I was unable to wait until I was symptom free to return to work. I returned to work a little over a year after the concussion I sustained.

I still experience symptoms and I'm not all better yet and it's now been 20 months since the accident that gave me a concussion. But I sustained a concussion with some rare complications.

Mark In Idaho has said in previous threads that the more symptom-free days that you can string together, then the less time it will take you to recover from the injury and the better the recovery will be. I think he's right. Try to string together a week of symptom-free days before returning to work if you can.