Taking Time Off When You're Sick

Picture by Courtney Carmody

Dear readers, my apologies for the missed posts yesterday and the day before. As you can see, scrolling down, I have made them up. They are now posted. I haven't been feeling my best lately, and may continue to feel crappy for a little while. Nothing serious, so says the doc, but it does mean I have a difficult time getting everything done each day.  Some days are better than others.

As I mentioned before in my post on cutting yourself some slack, I don't really believe in forcing yourself if you don't feel 100%. You're better off getting back to your usual self as quickly as possible, and the best way to do that is by taking care of yourself. If you drag out sickness even longer, it'll only cost you more in the long run.

So my advice for today is to take some time off and to do that in the right way, so it really makes a difference.

First of all, try to clear your schedule as much as possible. If you're feeling under the weather or overly stressed, you won't be performing at your best anyways. The people who work with you will surely understand that a healthy employee/colleague is much more valuable than a sick one. 

Secondly, there are a couple of quick things you can do to help yourself get the rest you need. If you feel sick and find it hard to eat, try eating small, bland snacks: toast, raw fruits and vegetables, crackers, etc. Drink little sips of water throughout the day (not so much that your stomach feels full, otherwise you'll end up feeling sicker than before.)
Have a cup of herbal tea or green tea if you like, but stay away from things like coffee and black tea. The acidic nature of those can upset your stomach, and they won't make you feel sleepy either.
Preparing these snacks and drinks is a matter of minutes but will make your time off feel like what it's supposed to be: A moment to recharge your batteries and get all the rest you possibly can.

Last advice: Put some music or an audio book on your mp3 player before you go to bed. Close your eyes while you listen. The sound will distract you from how bad you're feeling, and you'll drift off to sleep before you know it!

I hate feeling sick, so throughout the years I've tried to come up with the best way to get over it as quickly as possible. Invariably that has been to try and sleep my way through it, occasionally waking up for drinks and small snacks. Luckily I don't get ill very often, but when I do, it usually takes me about two days at most to start feeling better.


What do you do when you're feeling ill? Do you try to push yourself and work as long as possible? Do you hold to the 'mind over matter' idea and try to push through the physical discomfort (like my hubby)?
Let me know!