Overcoming Chronic Illness in the Workplace
7 Habits for Regaining Power in the Workplace
with Chronic Illness
By Rosalind Joffe, M.Ed. (originally published in "Scleroderma
Voice," 2003 #4)
-
Focus on What You Can Control.
You may not be able to control the course of your
illness. You can control the direction you take and
the choices you make regarding that illness in the
workplace. View your chronic illness as a challenge
to meet, not an obstacle in the way.
- Ignore
the Naysayers.
Many people will tell you that work is stressful and
that rest is best for people with chronic illness.
Ignore them. Unpleasant work or too much work can
be bad for anyone’s health but stress or lack
of rest does not cause chronic illness. Yes, you have
more challenges now than you did before, but throwing
in the towel is not the only option. Shape your work
environment to meet your needs and you can’t
harm yourself.
- Come
Out of the Closet.
Chronic illness is nothing to be ashamed of. Keeping
it a secret depletes your precious energy and gets
in your way. Maintain your right to privacy and be
judicious with your information, but don’t take
on the burden of pretending that you don’t have
a chronic illness. Be as public as you need to be
and as private as you want to be.
- Don’t
Just Survive—Thrive.
It’s easy to feel that survival is enough. And
most people who love you won’t expect more from
you than that. But chronic illness or not, you weren’t
born for mediocrity. Raising the bar doesn’t
mean doing more than you can; it means aiming high
and seeking what you need to thrive. Reach beyond
relief; go for the satisfaction.
- Control the Message.
Other people on the job will be looking to you to
set the tone, and you can influence the way they respond
to your illness. Design and control your message:
What and how much do you want to say? Who do you want
or need to say it to? When and where do you want to
talk? Get out in front of the conversation.
- Don’t Let Your
Illness Define Who You Are.
Some people might try to paint you as a martyr; others
may consider you less worthy of recognition or promotion.
Neither extreme works to your advantage; each gets
in your way. The message you want to convey is that
your chronic illness is simply one of several cards
in your deck; just like everybody else. Having a chronic
illness is neither a source of shame nor a source
of pride.
- Look for the Silver
Lining.
Although you may not believe it now, workplace success
in the face of illness is transforming. Many of us
have found new strength and confidence—qualities
we never knew we had—as a result of our illnesses.
We have used this newfound power to face other life
challenges. It need not all be about the bad news.
Drawing on 25 years of work experience, living
with chronic illness, Rosalind Joffe coaches individuals
to thrive in the workplace. ©2003 Rosalind Joffe.
Contact: Rosalind Joffe, M.Ed., Common
Goals, 617-969-1930 rosalind@cicoach.com,
www.common-goals.com. |
