This is One I Wish I Didn’t Have to Write
This one is personal for me and I know I’m not alone. At the time of writing this I am five months into a diagnosis of severe, active rheumatoid arthritis. I’m still going through the exploratory phase with treatments and doses, and figuring out how to adjust my work for when I have the physical and mental ability to do so. Just a couple weeks ago typing on the computer wasn’t even an option, and I know I’ll have more days where I’m back in that position and need to find another way to adapt.
At 36, this was not the path I imagined for myself. I’m learning to navigate this “new” life, and have found that keeping myself focused and motivated has been the most difficult part. Each of us will have a different collection of tools or routines that we find most effective, but I wanted to share what I’ve learned so far on my journey and am eagerly looking for suggestions.
How Chronic Illness Impacts Our Work Life
Navigating the workplace while living with chronic illness is a challenge. It can be difficult to manage work tasks, maintain productivity, and find the necessary support from colleagues or employers when our body isn’t listening to our brain. We often experience physical exhaustion, limited mobility, brain fog, and other symptoms that can affect our ability to focus and perform job duties in the ways we were used to.
We have difficulty staying motivated, have days where simply sitting or standing are too much to handle, and often take longer to get things done. Of course you want to disclose your diagnosis sensibly, but it can be important for your employer and colleagues to understand the unique challenges you face in order for them to provide the necessary support and accommodations.
It’s not all doom and gloom, however. Instead of trying to continue managing a workload that was near impossible when I was healthy, I’ve stepped back and only taken jobs with shorter durations, lighter schedules, and used the opportunity to start a business that I’ve always wanted, at my own pace. Find what works for you, your budget, and your health, and your body and mind will thank you for it.
Identifying Your Stressors & Adjusting Your Work Environment to Prioritize Self-Care
Stress in the workplace can be a major cause of physical and emotional distress. Identifying your stressors and taking steps to adjust your work environment to prioritize self-care is essential for promoting physical and emotional wellness. Let’s explore common workplace stressors, strategies for creating a healthier work-life balance, and self-care tips for the chronically ill. With the right tools in place, you can create an environment that is conducive to your overall wellbeing.
Workplace Stressors
Common workplace stressors include long hours, heavy workloads, organizational changes, and tight deadlines. These stressors can have a negative impact on any individual’s mental and physical health, leading to reduced productivity and decreased job satisfaction.
Chronic illness or fatigue can introduce additional challenges when faced with these job-related stressors. Long periods of stress can lead to frustration, anger, hopelessness, and, at times, depression, which are usually already elevated when you’re dealing with physical and mental difficulties from disease.
Take time to unwind from days or times at work that might pack on additional stress, but make sure to take note of the thing that triggered any unwanted side effects. Keeping a symptom log has helped me keep track of what was going on in my life when I felt the worst so I can try to avoid those situations in the future.
Improve your Work-Life Balance
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is difficult, but there are some simple steps that you can take to help manage your time and energy more effectively. Set a specific, limited number of hours per day that you will be available for work and stick to it. Your body will get used to having this routine and you may find it easier to focus during those hours.
Keep lists. Track your tasks, track your goals, track your health and symptoms, and use a calendar to keep it all sorted. I’ve learned that chronic illness has a surprisingly negative affect on my memory, and if I didn’t write things down I would never remember anything. This gives me a sense of personal accountability in both work and personal matters, and has made adjusting significantly easier.
Self-Care
Self-care is essential for managing chronic illness and should include things like healthy eating, taking medications as prescribed, attending appointments with your healthcare professionals, regular exercise as recommended, maintaining social engagement, and even asking for help when needed.
Taking time to turn off and let your body and mind rest is crucial to your overall wellness, so make sure to include that in your self-care routine as well. Sometimes a nap or time away from your screens is just what the doctor (should have) ordered.
Don’t try to cram everything in all at once. Tailor your routine to your needs and lifestyle so that it can be maintained over time, though you might find yourself making alterations as your abilities differ – even on a day-to-day basis. Don’t overdo it. Your body will tell you what you need and are capable of.
Be Honest with Yourself
Your illness is your reality and you can’t deny or postpone it because you’re at work. Deadlines and long hours don’t matter when your symptoms are driving you into to a wall. Be honest with yourself both physically and emotionally, and learn to step away when necessary to avoid further long-term damage.
Working beyond your limits can expose you to additional health risks, even if you are passionate about the project or your career. You’ll be more successful in the long run if you learn to tell yourself ‘no’ more often now.
I know you’re thinking, ‘but I’ll get fired’.
If you’ve had an honest conversation with your employer about what’s going on, chances are you won’t – but it’s ultimately up to them to decide. Know your rights, talk to your HR department, and refer to the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) when necessary.
Dealing with Productivity Pressure at Work & Learning to Say ‘No’
Productivity pressure at work can be overwhelming and lead to loss of focus and motivation, especially when you have active symptoms. Too often we live in a sense of urgency and find ourselves overcommitting. It may take some time for you and your colleagues to adjust to working at a slower pace.
You might find that it’s easier to talk about what you can delegate and contribute to speed up progress, rather than how managing your old tasks might slow everyone down. This way you can be careful not to imply that your work is any less important and valuable if your symptoms are severe enough for you to need time off.
It can be hard to say “no” when you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed out, but it is important to know how to set boundaries and take care of yourself.
Burnout is even more prevalent for those with chronic illness or fatigue, and it’s crucial to find ways to cope with the demands of the workplace while prioritizing your health. Give yourself permission to prioritize your own needs. Just because you’re saying “no” doesn’t mean it has to be a negative interaction. I’ve found that offering alternatives or giving realistic expectations is all that’s needed to keep the communication from getting ugly.
Tools & Resources for Working with Chronic Illness
Health technology has advanced significantly in recent years and there are now a variety of tools available for tracking your health data and staying on top of your symptoms. Online resources can provide helpful information about managing chronic illnesses, from lifestyle tips to diet advice. Make sure you consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes, but you might find even the small adjustments can make a big difference.
With the right combination of tools and resources, we can better manage our condition while still being productive and maintain focus in our day-to-day life.
Start by Tracking your Symptoms
There is a tracker for everything these days, and if you have Apple devices, you know when you’re not moving enough (thanks, Siri…).
I like the CareClinic app for keeping track of my symptoms, habits, and medications – though it is capable of much more. You can share your results and care plans with your doctor when you need to, and it’s an easy way to speed up diagnosis and treatment planning.
The most help for me has been my Health Journal Notion template that I created to log my day to day vitals, symptoms, and pain. I’m able to get a quick review of what my week or month looked like, as well as log my medication, appointments, notes, and providers. Because I can access it on my mobile phone or tablet, I always have the information handy when I’m at the doctor, and can more accurately report how I’ve been progressing as my memory starts to fail me.
I’ve got a demo video of the Notion template here if you’d like to see it in action.
I do have this template available for purchase, along with a PDF medical tracker that is designed for use with a tablet and pencil or stylus where you can keep track of your providers, visits, and monthly, weekly, or daily health logs in an app like GoodNotes or Notability. It allows for much more detail specific to chronic illness, and I’ve seen success using it when I have more time to detail my health journey.
If you’re looking for a physical record of your journey, find or create a symptom or health tracking printable template with the information you find most necessary to track. Keep it on your desk so it’s available throughout your workday when you need it.
Search the Websites of Trusted Experts or Organizations
For me, the Arthritis Foundation has a website full of resources for self-management, treatment information, webinars, news, and how to foster healthy living with my condition. They have suggestions on if and how to tell others, building an effective treatment plan with my medical providers, and words of wisdom from other patients experiencing the same thing.
Chances are, you’ll be able to find one specific for your needs and you shouldn’t have to search too far.
Join a Community
At the end of the day, none of us are alone and we shouldn’t have to feel that way. Your medical provider should know if your local community has a support group or social events designed to introduce you to others who feel the same symptoms or setbacks, and don’t be too shy to ask.
Virtual communities are everywhere online, and social media is the first place to start your hunt. Find a Facebook group or Discord server where other online users go to communicate about and share their experiences. Be mindful that any group you join isn’t just full of complainers. Finding an uplifting, encouraging group that communicates positive energy and support will get you farther in your journey.
Explore Tools that Make your Job Easier
This one will depend on what you do for work, but there are a lot of tools out there that make planning, organizing, and doing our jobs easier.
I use Trello boards not for project management, but for overall work and life management. It’s quick and easy to maintain and it keeps me focused on both my small and large tasks and goals. The calendar view let’s me see what’s coming up for the week and I can jump to it quickly if I need to schedule appointments. Trello is free to sign up and start exploring if their tools may work in your flow.
I use Notion to keep track of most things going on in my life – from my work, my business, and my health. It’s a free workspace tool that can be accessed from anywhere and modified to record and track anything you could imagine. They have a great getting started series on their YouTube if you want to learn more.
If writing articles, emails, product descriptions, or anything is a big part of your job, explore AI writing assistants. You’ll be surprised what they’re capable of and how much time they will save you. I use generated content from Rytr as a starting point, and then tweak it with my own words. It saves me a lot of time and energy typing on the keyboard, especially on days where my hands just don’t want to do it. I pay less than $30 a month for unlimited generated content, but it has saved me so much more.
Make note of where you spend the most time during the day, what tasks you may struggle with, or what you tend to forget – I’ll be there’s a tool or app out there meant to make it easier.
Take Care of Yourself
Ultimately, you need to make the right adjustments for your situation, both at work and at home. Set small goals to keep your focus and motivation, but give yourself a break when you need it.
Be sure to take advantage of all the tools and resources available to you, such as flexible hours or remote working options, support groups and therapy, and other resources that can help you manage your illness and stay focused at work.
It’s not an easy thing to manage, but I know we can do it.
