Sometimes our bodies aren’t having it. It’s not necessarily a crash and burn, but simply your body telling you to slow down a little. For example, I’m recovering from being under the weather and a minor foot injury as I write this. You would think this has stopped me from getting work done, but I’ve actually been the most productive I’ve been in weeks.
Granted, as I mentioned, I’m not deathly ill or anything. I just have a nagging cough and need to keep my foot elevated. I also know that now is the time for me to rest. In the past, I would have pushed it and then gotten worse. That being said, here’s how I’ve managed to stay productive despite not feeling well.
You can’t go anywhere anyway.
Because I don’t feel well and have a limp, I’m basically stuck in my apartment. Aside from one doctor’s appointment, I’m not going anywhere. What’s interesting is not needing to be somewhere – like the gym or a work event – actually helped me get focused again. If I’m stuck lying on the coach doing nothing, I might as well get some work done.
Here is what I have been able to accomplish as a result of being stuck in my apartment resting:
- Create content for my own website.
- Get caught up on my invoicing and accounting
- Take meetings with major prospective clients (in moderation because of my cough)
- Figure out what I can outsource to a new team member
- Create email marketing content
- Handle all email correspondence
- Get caught up on client work
Granted, there are a couple of things for clients that I couldn’t do due to losing my voice earlier in the week. However, this gave me the opportunity to get caught up on things I’d been procrastinating on for weeks.
Go to bed early.
I’ve been going to bed much earlier than usual this week. This is partly because my cough makes it difficult to fall asleep. It’s also because my body clearly needs to rest. After weeks of my sleep schedule being all over the place, I’m back to waking up early. If you have read my previous content, then you know that I do my best creative work in the mornings.
Delegate things to your team.
Part of the reason why I’m under the weather is that I took on way too much in the last couple of months. I’m in the process of bringing on a new assistant so I was taking on more work. Additionally, I was going through some things in my personal life that needed my attention. Long story short, I ran myself ragged and my body is paying the price.
That being said, I’m now starting to delegate more things to my new assistant. This is a huge help as I recover from feeling under the weather. It’s also helping me get back into a productive groove after some recent challenges.
Final Thoughts
It’s not impossible to get your work done even if you aren’t feeling well. The key is to make sure you catch yourself before you get even sicker. Then, when you’re recovering, get caught up on your work, get plenty or rest and delegate things.
Amanda Abella
Amanda is a best-selling author of "Make Money Your Honey", a book that helps freelancers and business owners understand their relationship with money and how to make it more productive. She's driven by helping others live the most productive and fruitful way possible.