Navigating a career is a strategic game within itself. However, navigating the workplace and a productive career with a chronic disease is a whole other game. Balancing both a decent workload and chronic disease may seem like working two full-time jobs. Read these tips below on how you can better manage daily work-life while living with a chronic disease!
Chronic diseases can feel like a rollercoaster. Some days you may feel unaffected by your conditions, while the next day your chronic symptoms feel like they are weighing you down. Although the workday keeps progressing and your workload increases, your conditions may limit you from being fully productive.
Be mindful of triggers that could cause a relapse of severe symptoms. Factors like excessive exercise, stress, dehydration, and infection can cause symptoms to appear. Help reduce stress through meditation, nature walks, yoga, or talk therapy.
Another way to reduce stress is to plan out your week beforehand. While mapping out meetings and assignments, insert time to rest in the middle of the day.
If you are still working from home, instill time to step away from the computer to stretch, take a walk, or listen to a podcast. If you are working in the office, take some to take a lap around the office or grab some tea during the day.
Planning out times for work and rest will help keep you accountable for taking care of responsibilities and taking care of yourself.
Being open and honest about having sickle cell is a scary step. Some may feel that this revelation could be used against them when being considered for promotion and projects. However, if you are working in an inclusive environment, be upfront with your team and managers about how your condition may adapt how you work.
The condition does disable you from meeting deadlines, taking on difficult projects, or being committed to your team. However, it may adapt how you work. Instead of constantly being available during traditional work hours, perhaps you save most of the working hours for collaborative work and individual work outside of traditional hours. If your symptoms are flaring up, your team may not be able to reach you immediately and may have to wait until the next business day.
Give them alternate contact methods if matters are truly urgent, otherwise, provide alternative contacts on the team or refer to your manager. Have open conversations about how important an adaptive work environment is for those with chronic diseases and disabilities.
If your team does not understand your condition, refer them to employee resource groups or share material, if you are comfortable.
Do not feel the onus to be a representative of your condition or having to prove your worth. Let your work speak for itself and be a champion of inclusive environments.
If you do not work in an inclusive, adaptive environment, it’s important to know your rights as a worker. While your employer has its expectations, you should also ensure that they are living up to their responsibilities as an employer. If you live in the United States, stay informed on the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
This allows you to take in the event that your conditions do not allow you perform your job functions, while also being guaranteed job protection. While this may be a last resort, it is important to know this is your right as a worker. If your direct manager is not supportive, open a dialogue with human resources to make sure you are being cared for as an employee.
Ask about different options for health insurance, flexible PTO days, and flexible work arrangements. Human resources may be able to advocate on your behalf and have more insight on what protections you can leverage. While you do not need to share all specifics of your disease, it can be helpful to give a summary of what your condition enables or may disable you to do.
While your employer does not have the privilege of knowing every detail, giving them some context will help guide a more productive conversation. This will help take ownership of your career and development, while also accommodating your condition as a consideration in your life and not a roadblock.
Chronic diseases, like anemia, do not have to bulldoze your career aspirations. Being flexible and adaptive is certainly an essential, but that should be a two-way street. Do what you can as an employee to adapt to your environment, but also set expectations with your employer to do the same. Your value as an employee is just as important as the value you bring to the team as a human.
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