A client just emailed me saying that he decided not to take this week off as he’d planned – he’s going to keep working since he’s feeling well (he’s got hypertropic cardiomyopathy). He’s a software marketing executive and he figures he might as well take advantage of it.
I found myself thinking, I guess that’s smart thinking. I do believe you have to be flexible around health - and working. And doesn’t this show flexibility?
But, if we live our lives thinking that we should work when we’re healthy so we can stop when we’re not, we’re still not taking charge of the bus.
His wife and children are home this week — he’d planned to spend a nice quiet week with them. But he’s going to be at the office, cranking out those spread sheets, instead. Because he’s feeling well.
I’m wondering if there’s something that happens to us when we live with chronic illness that makes us think we have to proving something?
When “Perfectly Healthy People” get sick, they take time off, go back to work — and are perfectly comfortable saying they were sick and now they’re back. They plan vacations and take them (mostly). Does that describe you?
I don’t do it all that well, either. Uh oh, I just remembered that I’m on vacation. I’ve gotta’ stop now.
Rosalind
For me, it isn’t about proving something, it’s purely about logistics. I do take vacations, but fewer than others in my office. The reason is simple: I get sick more. Therefore, I use up my sick days. When my sick days are gone and I’m too sick to work, then I have to use vacation days.
I think some people also feel that they have to make up for all of the time that they don’t work or that they work at less than peak efficiency. I believe the key is to apply that “I feel well so I can work attitude to everything.” I’ve had a couple of weeks of feeling unusually well (yay!) so I’ve worked a bit more, and gone out with friends more, and spent time with family more, and spent time at home cleaning and cooking and relaxing more. And maybe it will last a while and maybe it won’t, but at least when this good spell ends, I will have accomplished a lot and had some fun. It’s easy to lose sight of that, but important not to (in my humble opinion).