3 Ways High Performers Do Sick Days All Wrong - The Muse

3 Ways High Performers Do Sick Days All Wrong - The Muse3 Ways High Performers Do Sick Days All WrongIll be honest. For someone whos such a big advocate of taking time off when you need to, I did a pretty bad job of it recently. In fact, when I came down with a cold recently, I tried to go to work (and made a lot of my colleagues pretty upset in the process). Sure, it makes sense that youd want to be productive when you have leidhing more than a little cough, but its important to take a sick day- and if you need to redefine what a sick day means to you to make yourself actually take one, do that So, before you try to power through another (contagious) cold from the office, make sure youre not making ansicht three mistakes1. Youre Treating Your Sick Day as an All or Nothing PropositionIf it were up to my mother, Id shut off the internet connection from my apartment whenever I was sick so that nobody could get a hold of me until I got better. Sick days are for being sick, shed probably say. You cant be sick and work at the same time. However, you and I both know the reality is that even when were home sick, were awake for a good portion of the day. You might not leave your bed much (or at all), but its natural to start feeling restless after a while. Not to mention stressed from getting behind. For those of you whove been in bed for a few days and just cant take it anymore, I bet you want nothing more than to suck it up and head into work the next day. What to Do Instead of Going Into Work SickDepending on your boss, it might be as easy as being honest Im not well enough to come in, but I can do fruchtwein of my work from home today. Or, if your boss wont go for that (or you company has a strict policies), go ahead and take the official sick days and then do as much work as you feel up to from bed. Emphasis on feel up to- which might mean just monitoring your inbox to avoid getting restless. Yes, it sucks to waste a sick day working, but it also sucks to return t o the office after not feeling well and then get stuck spending a few really long days in the office catching up. And if youre the kind of person who cant bear the thought of getting behind, try compromising with yourself. 2. Youre Trying Too Hard to Get Out of The HouseI took this to a bit of an extreme recently by talking myself into going for a jog. That was borderline idiotic and I would not recommend it. However, even if youre not as dumb about this as I am, think about all those times when youve had a little cold and thought, Hey, Ill stay home from work today- and run all my errands instead I get that its tough to stay isolated for an extended period, but just as much as youd want to keep your teammates from getting sick, you should also spare your literal neighbors from the same fate. Plus, you and I both know that youre not helping your health by moving around.What to Do Instead of Going OutIf youre feeling up to it and have outdoor space, feel free to take your laptop outs ide and check in on things. Of course, use your discretion (and do not go for a run like I did). But if youve been home for a few days and are getting better, then treat yourself to some fresh air. However, if youre barely able to get out of bed, spare yourself the trouble and stay indoors. The only person whos putting this pressure on you to get up and moving is you (assuming you dont have an evil boss).3. Youre Working Too HardYoull notice that the first two ways youre messing up your sick days include a few tips on how to stay productive when youre feeling antsy. But heres the thing- when youre taking a sick day, you are sick Its important not to lose sight of the fact that while its totally understandable not to want to fall completely behind on work, you do need a little time to sit around and take care of yourself. What to Do Instead of Taking Meetings From BedIm not here to tell you to do absolutely nothing during a sick day, especially if you know you have a tight deadline c oming up. But instead of working a typical day from home, make yourself a list of things that have to get done ASAP. Find some time to do those things, and once theyre out of the way, allow yourself to do something you need to get better. That includes, but is not limited to, watching mindless TV, scrolling through social media, and taking midday naps.Theres nothing worse than having to stay home from work because of a cold, when all you want to do is go to work and get some stuff done. However, you shouldnt always put pressure on yourself to loaf around while youre feeling less-than-stellar just because youre taking a sick day. Dont be afraid to redefine what it means to you so that you can return to work feeling better and ready to jump back in.