Conquer Sick Day Guilt
What is sick day guilt:
Imagine this: you just took 2 weeks of leave for a vacation with your family. On the day of return you caught the flu bug and suffered from various symptoms. You have three days to make a decision.
A part of you thinks it’s best to see a doctor, claim a medical certificate and rest in. Your close friends and family support that.
Yet, another part of you tells you to pull through the work week and rest only on the weekends.
The symptoms get worse as you think about the dilemma.
You didn’t want to take the leave because you feel:
Guilt towards your employer
Pressured to show up at the workplace - because you don’t like falling behind
Stressed for falling ill at the wrong time (what’s the right time to fall sick anyway?)
Bad for letting your colleagues cover you for more days than they should
You can recover immediately with your will power
You can meditate the symptoms away
This is known as Sick Day Guilt.
What research shows:
Research shared by Zippia actually revealed that 61.3% of workers are more likely to feel guilt over taking a day off because they are sick than taking a day off for vacation - that is more than half of the working population feeling guilt for being under the weather.
And while illness is the most common reason to take time off from work, only 71.9% of the working population actually takes leave when they are under the weather.
Why you have sick day guilt
The main reason for having sick day guilt is down to feeling behind on projects since nothing can be planned in advance for coworkers.
Additional research by the Wall Street Journal found that women are more concerned about piling on their workload on others when they fall ill hence feeling a sense of guilt from taking time off work.
Other reasons explaining why you have sick day guilt:
Worrying that things will go wrong when you’re not around to monitor
Being viewed as being lazy or having fun by your colleagues or supervisors
Losing the chance for a promotion
Getting “demerits” leading to losing a job (aka us playing the worst scenario in our mind)
In the hustle and work culture, we are only praised and commended for the hard work and hours put in.
And on the days we need a break, we either get a hesitant yes or a side eye from a colleague.
As we humans are creatures that respond to the environment. Such behavior encourages the society to keep showing up even on the days their body needs a proper rest.
Overcoming sick day guilt
Think from a logical perspective: when you’re sick, chances are your mind isn’t functioning optimally - i.e. more mistakes, more carelessness, possibly more misunderstandings. Is it worth it?
Preventing sick day guilt
1. Recognize that you’re a human, not a machine.
We often set unrealistic expectations on ourselves, thinking we can max out our efforts and show up our best 24/7.
2. Remember that resting, taking time off is not a privilege, but a necessity.
When you fill your cup back, you restore your energy and show up better.
3. Communicate your needs.
If a project has a tight deadline, can you request for more support or a better work timeline? Communicating your needs with respect not only grants you better work life balance but also gains you respect because people now know your capacity and will honor that.
If you’re feeling judgmental or critical towards yourself for taking time off for rest or family or me-time then know that you’re not alone. One solution I have for you now is a free meditation download - all about shutting down the critical voice and embracing kindness towards yourself. You can download that here.
Since you’re here, be sure to subscribe to our email list and be part of the EB Tribe. You’ll get instant access to a powerful training guide that I created to help you release the critical, judgmental thoughts in your mind 📩. You’ll also get exclusive content, some special love notes, and personal updates from me that I simply don't share anywhere else 🤫
Research mentioned:
https://www.zippia.com/advice/guilty-taking-time-off-work-survey/
https://www.wsj.com/articles/men-women-differences-deadlines-11635532693
