I’ve been laid low by illness. What I thought was a cough was actually a throat infection. And whilst it’s nothing serious, it still took me out of action.
Rather than trying to struggle through, I took the time to rest. I generally make a point of taking my sick days when I need them – too often people are pushing themselves through illness. This then later turns into something more serious when the body has to give even stronger signals that we need to stop.
It might sound counterintuitive, but it is also about leading by example. I see many leaders advocating people taking breaks and sick days, but rarely doing so themselves. Whilst I am empathetic that it can sometimes feel hard to take ourselves away from work, It’s also hard to set a positive culture when the norm from the top is to work whilst sick.
This week’s article was prompted by a short conversation I had with someone. They told me that taking time to be sick made them feel bad because they felt unproductive. It made them feel like they are doing nothing.
This is a feeling that many of us have experienced in our lives. We don’t want to let the team down, and feel anxious at the idea of not doing something. When society instills in us the idea that we have to constantly be active, the idea of stopping feels like a bad thing.
But rest is a necessary part of our existence. It gives us the balance and lets us recover. When I spoke to a fellow coach this week she reminded me that I mentioned that I’d like a rest a few weeks ago – this is my body’s way of telling me to actually do it!
One of the major difficulties we can have is to simply sit without stimulation. We train our brains to have a constant stream of activity, meaning that any pause makes us feel angsty. It’s why when we are ill, many of us can get very frustrated because we have nothing to do.
I’ve come to enjoy my sick days much more than I used to. Rather than sit still pondering the universe until I go crazy, I take this as a moment for me to slow my movements and withdraw into myself. I might do some light reading, and if I’m feeling drowsy (as I have done several times this week) I will go have a nap. I’ve also taken some time to have warm baths to ease my throat.
This period of illness has also allowed me to get my bearings after a month filled with travel. I can take a step back from the hustle and bustle to find more peace and tranquility.
Although it might sound odd, we can choose to enjoy our day, even when we are ill. The pain of a headache may not be pleasant, but it does pass. And we can use it as an opportunity to be grateful for the times when we do not have negative ailments. Our bodies do so much for us, and it’s only when we are ill that we take a moment to notice it.
The funny thing is that everything has gone completely smoothly whilst I’ve been ill, both in work and my personal life. The world doesn’t stop just because I’m not participating. It can be a helpful reminder for ourselves (and our own ego) that the earth doesn’t stop rotating because we take some days off work.
So this article is an invitation to you that life may actually be giving us a gift when you are ill.
We can choose how we want to view it. If we see it as an annoying burden we will feel frustrated. But if we choose to see it as a helpful moment to pause and reflect, the whole experience is much more pleasant.
Sickness is a part of life, and we’re going to be sick every now and then, so why not enjoy it?