15 Apr The Flu in April. Seriously?

This winter was a harsh one in New York.  I believe we had 15 or more snow storms and endless days of cold, dreary, wintery weather.  And I had not so much as a sneeze!  Then spring came along (Hooray!) and I started a self imposed 30 day yoga challenge, and 7 days into the challenge, BAM!  Out of no where, I got knocked off my feet with a viscous flu. In APRIL!

Now, I’m the type that enjoys being in motion and likes to think I can simply “will” things away.  So I tried to go about my business as usual.  I thought a little yoga would help and continued to work for the first couple of days until I realized that I was actually doing myself harm and wasn’t really doing anyone on my team or our clients any good by being “present” when not one cell in my brain or body was functioning well and my symptoms were getting worse.

So, I relented and cancelled all of my important meetings (which I hate to do) and told my team that I’d be out of commission for the remainder of the week (which I also hate to do – I know I’m a geek, but hey, I love what I do!) and committed to rest.

At first, I panicked about all of the emails I was missing and then panicked some more about the mountain of things that would await me on Monday morning.  But the truth was I was way too sick to do anything useful and realized that my job now was to get better.  So I unplugged.  And drank tea.  And watched movies.  And slept.  And slept.  And slept.  On day 5, the fever finally subsided and I am still wrestling with a cough, but definitely on the mend.

All of this got me thinking about growing “Presenteeism” – showing up for work but not well enough to really be working.  And this is a growing trend which winds up costing everyone.  You, the sick worker, first and foremost.  Your team – since your productivity is a fraction of what it could be.  If you work in a office environment, your co-workers who can catch whatever you have.  And the list goes on and on.

So, next time you feel that tickle in your throat, start coughing, sneezing or feeling those terrible muscle aches, don’t try to push through.  In fact, do yourself and everyone around you a favor and listen to your body’s signals and give yourself the rest you desperately need.

Even if the sun is shining and spring is in the air!

Oh and please leave a comment with your flu-busting-resting strategies that work!  When was the last time you had the flu and what did you do to get better?

Until the Next Time!

Vivienne