7 Ways To Keep Working When You’re Sick by Serena Arora

Have you ever have a really bad sinus infection, where you cannot breathe, your head feels cloudy, and speaking is not possible? Or how about the horrible flu, where you cannot keep anything down, you have chills one minute and heat flashes the next? Well, what do you do if one of these illnesses comes at the worst possible time? What do you do if you have a due date that cannot be swapped, but you’re too sick to get the work done? If you’re as lost as I was, this article is for you.

1. Stay Hydrated.

I cannot stress this enough. If you’re going to be drinking caffeine to stay awake or to feel alert, YOU NEED TO STAY HYDRATED AS WELL. Staying hydrated will help you get better faster, and who doesn’t want to get better as fast as possible?

 

2. Cut out anything that you can.

If you’re sick to the point that you feel you cannot power through, cancel all your appointments. I am the type of person to spread myself so thin, so that even when I am sick I will push it of until I get so sick that I cannot even move. Catch your sickness in the beginning, take care of yourself, and then go to your activities/appointments.

3. Find the most important task, and get that over with first.

I have always (and still am) the person who puts the hardest task at the end of my to-do list and waits till the end of the night to get it done. While that works for me, It also adds a lot of pressure and stress throughout the day for me. Pressure and stress are not good for the immune system. Get your most important task done FIRST.

4. DON’T STARE AT LISTS- GET WORK DONE LITTLE BY LITTLE.

To-Do lists are great. They keep your organized, and they give you satisfaction as you check off an item that you finished. However, if you have a huge to-do list that you keep staring at instead of doing your work, you will keep thinking about how sick you are. Therefore, you could start thinking about how incapable you are of getting it done. Lists will psych you out, take one task at a time, and breaks in between. When you start to feel really sick, rest for 15 minutes (only 15 minutes!!) and then get back to work.

5. Stop Saying “I CAN’T”

You can. If you are sick to the point where you really do not WANT to do work- than don’t! No sweat! However, in my case I really wanted to get my work done. SO- if you keep telling yourself you can’t, guess what? You won’t!! Tell yourself you can. Give yourself a time limit, and a reward at the end. Maybe some tea or popsicles once your done? Or a nap? How about some Netflix? Those sound good right? Great, well get your work done first!! You can do this, I believe in you.

6.Cut Out All Distractions!

I know that since you’re sick you believe you deserve the right to watch Netflix all day,  but don’t allow yourself to use sickness as an excuse!! If

 you want to make that deadline- get it out of the way first! That means NO TV or PHONE until it’s done. If you are extremely sick, I presume you stayed home from school. Therefore, you have plenty of time to get the work done and then watch television for the rest of the day.. So shut off that TV and Phone!!

7. GO OUTDOORS!

Go outside, get some fresh air. The effects going outdoors has on sick people is amazing. I feel that it…

1. 1. Makes me feel more awake.
   2. Reduces my depression/anxiety/stress from being sick and deadlines.
   3. Gives me energy.
   4. Makes me feel a little less sick.

I hope you all feel better, and get some rest and work done!!!!!!