Bandai Choi
Clinical Psychologist | Board-approved supervisor
Breathe-n-Smile Psychology, Essendon North, Footscray and telehealth across Australia
Does feeling anxious mean I am not ready to return to work after an injury? Not necessarily. Anxiety is one part of the picture. Your current health, the demands of the job and workplace safety also need attention. Discuss those together with your treating team; feeling calm or frightened alone cannot tell you whether a particular duty is safe. [4]
TL;DR
- You may fear more pain, another injury, reminders of the accident or a work plan that is still unclear.
- Returning to work does not always mean resuming every previous task or your full hours. Suitable duties depend on individual capacity and available arrangements. [1][2]
- Psychological support can address fear and sleep difficulties alongside medical and workplace planning. Physical work capacity needs its own assessment.
- If a workplace hazard remains unresolved, or your symptoms are worsening, discuss safety and treatment before attempting a difficult return.
Why can thinking about work bring up so much anxiety?
After an injury, ordinary parts of a working day can take on a different meaning. A particular machine, a lifting task, travelling along the same route or simply entering the building may bring back a sense of danger. These situations may remind you of the injury. You may also have a practical concern: the job still involves lifting, long periods on your feet or concentrating while in pain.
These possibilities can overlap. Fear of reinjury is not automatically an exaggerated belief. There may be a real hazard to fix or duties your body cannot yet manage. Tell your treating team about sleep difficulties or problems coping with everyday demands as well. [3]
If persistent pain is part of the difficulty, our article on pain after a road accident explores how pain and psychological responses may affect everyday functioning. Here the focus is the decision about work itself.
Three things to check: work capacity, duties and anxiety
Work capacity concerns what you can currently do. Your treating medical practitioner and relevant rehabilitation professionals need information about the actual duties. Can you tolerate the physical demands? Is fatigue affecting safety? Are there medical restrictions? Feeling calm on a particular day does not prove that heavy lifting is safe; feeling frightened does not establish that every form of work is impossible.
Workplace arrangements concern how the job could change. Depending on the situation, discussions might include suitable duties, different hours, more breaks, practical equipment or another work location. Comcare recommends working with the return-to-work team and considering the worker's needs and proposed duties. [2]
Capacity and job availability are different questions. WorkSafe Victoria advises assessing capacity from the worker's health and function, even if suitable duties are not available. The next discussion is whether a proposed role fits that assessed capacity. [4]
Psychological distress also needs attention. If fear, sleep problems or distress are disrupting daily life, discuss an assessment with your GP or psychologist. WorkSafe Victoria describes mental health treatment and support pathways; diagnosis and funding decisions require their own assessment. [3]
How to have a more useful return-to-work conversation
Rather than asking only, 'When can I go back?', write down what an ordinary shift actually involves. Include the duration of standing or sitting, lifting, travelling, machinery, noise, deadlines and opportunities to pause. Then describe where your current symptoms interfere with those demands. A discussion based on tasks is usually more useful than a broad statement that you feel 'ready' or 'not ready'.
Ask your treating team three questions: Which duties are safe now? What changes might help? When should your work capacity be reviewed? Also ask what warning signs to watch for. Your employer or return-to-work coordinator can then discuss possible arrangements. If a recommended adjustment cannot be made safely, that difficulty needs to be addressed rather than assumed away. [1][2]
If approaching the workplace brings up fear, a psychological appointment can include discussing which situations worry you, what you expect might happen and what support you need. Psychological support does not replace assessment of the job's physical demands or hazards. Raise worsening symptoms or an unresolved hazard with your treating team before attempting the task. [3][4]
For details of the practice's relevant service area, see Breathe-n-Smile's WorkCover and TAC psychology support page. Any individual referral, funding or claim arrangements still need to be checked.
Four manageable steps before the next appointment
- Name the worry precisely. 'I might hurt my back lifting again' is different from 'I feel panicky when I see the accident site'. One needs a work-capacity and hazard discussion; the other may also need trauma-informed assessment.
- Record functional effects briefly. Note how sleep, pain, fatigue, travel and concentration affect specific daily tasks. Bring this record to your GP or rehabilitation appointment rather than relying on one good or difficult day.
- Ask what suitable work means in practice. Clarify which duties, how many hours, any restrictions, what adjustments are proposed and when the plan will be reassessed.
- Mention psychological barriers early. If you cannot travel to the site, sleep before a shift or speak to a supervisor without overwhelming distress, tell the treating team. Those difficulties belong in the planning conversation too. [1][2]
Related reading
- Still in pain after a car accident?: understanding persistent pain and daily functioning.
- Afraid to drive after a car accident?: when travel is also part of the fear.
- Why do I dread work every Sunday night?: how everyday work anxiety differs from injury-related barriers.
Frequently asked questions
Does anxiety mean I should not return to work?
Can a psychologist decide whether lifting or driving at work is safe?
Physical and safety-related capacities need assessment by the relevant medical or occupational professionals. A psychologist may assess and treat emotional and trauma-related barriers and, with appropriate authorisation, communicate relevant functional information to the treating team.
Ask about psychological support
If fear, sleep difficulties or distress after a work injury are affecting daily life, you can ask Breathe-n-Smile Psychology about psychological assessment and support.
Appointments are in Essendon North and Footscray, with telehealth across Australia. Sessions are in English, Cantonese or Mandarin.
Call 0431 828 769, email reception@breathe-n-smile.com, or use our enquiry form. Please keep sensitive clinical details out of ordinary enquiries.
References
- WorkSafe Victoria. Returning to work: A guide for injured workers. Landing page published 2019; reviewed 2022.
- Comcare. Supporting return to work.
- WorkSafe Victoria. Mental injury support.
- WorkSafe Victoria. Certificate of capacity for health providers. Reviewed 22 January 2026.
WorkSafe sources concern Victoria; Comcare provides general workplace guidance.
General information only. It does not replace individual medical advice or determine claim entitlements.