The Truth About Being on Sick Leave

Every once in a while, you might find yourself having to time off sick for illness. Sometimes it might be for a day, other times it could be for a couple of weeks or more. If like me, you don't often get ill, this can be a pretty strange and sometimes soul-crushing experience. Maybe not so much as being at work during a particularly bad time, but soul crushing nonetheless.

At the time of writing, I've been off work for over two weeks after having a pretty bad flare up of arthritis in my knee. As a result of this, I've been holed up at home, often lying on the sofa with cushions under my knee, in front of the television. Daytime TV is mildly enjoyable in the first instance, but there's only so much Jeremy Kyle and Judge Rinder you can stand before you start losing the will to live. There is, however, some amusement in seeing how many times a house in Stoke-On-Trent pops up in Homes Under The Hammer, while thinking that whoever chooses the music in the show has clearly got the best job in the world.

Your mobile phone, computer, and tablet are a help in times like this. Being ill gives you time to waste time on social media, tweeting and retweeting everything you find interesting, even if others don’t. You can send text messages to all of your mates, bragging about how you’re off work while looking for sympathy. You spend hours on YouTube watching every video of super cute animals doing super cute and funny things you can find. You also finally get round to checking out that show on Netflix that everyone is talking about. All this you do until you realise that Twitter and Facebook aren’t a good idea when you’re feeling under the weather. You’re annoying your friends with your constant texting, even if they don’t tell you. You’ve run out of super cute animal videos to watch on YouTube. As for that show on Netflix, it isn’t as good as everyone says it is. And so, you turn to playing Angry Birds on your phone for the first time in about eighteen months, because why not?

There are times when you feel so bored that you just wish that you could get back to work. After all, you would rather be doing something than nothing at all. Then there's the fear of having to tell your boss you have to be off longer, that everyone you work with is struggling without you there and probably hate you for it. Until you tell yourself to forget about work and focus on getting yourself better, because there is no way you’re going back until you are.

It is of course when you find that you have to leave the house for an appointment or whatever when the real fear sets in. What if someone you know sees you? What if they go and tell everyone at work that they’ve seen you? What will they think of it? Well, if they see you in a doctor’s surgery or a hospital they will know you’re not right. In any case, there is no point in worrying about having to go out. In fact, getting some fresh air will do you good, so do it when you can, if you can (don’t try it if your ailment means you absolutely can’t leave the house at all).

Yes, it sure sucks to be stuck at home ill, but if there is at least one positive in all this, it's the fact that you have plenty of opportunities to get some well-needed rest. So make the most of it and take as long as you need to get back on your feet.