Happy For Some Time Off? Sometimes, It's Not Your Choice

You love having a day off work, and on occasion, it's unplanned, such as a weather day, technical problems, or taking care of a sick child. However, when it becomes a personal health issue, you may not enjoy hearing the words: «you need to stay out of work while you heal.»

Your doctor’s recommendation wasn't necessarily your choice, but you knew that avoiding going to the doctor wasn’t going to make the problem go away, but it still kept getting put off.

I've worked with many folks who ignore warning signs and symptoms until it impacts their personal and professional life.

Why does this happen?

• Denial

• misaligned priorities

• fear of the worst

• workplace stress

One of my client's family members contacted me; she told me she was worried about her father. He suffered from chronic cough and hoarseness for several months. but he refused her advice. She believed an unrelated person might be better at educating him on the need for self-care, so I reached out, and he agreed to work with me.

After listening to him, I expressed concern about his symptoms, and I calmly explained that waiting and ignoring signs would likely lead to more time off than if addressed sooner.

Mr. Mack was a large-framed man with a craggy face and furrowed brows. He was proud to mention he runs his own company, and his employees rely on him. As a result, he doesn't have time to miss work going from doctor to doctor or taking care of non-emergent health issues.

So, I thought, “How do I approach this? How do I break the outward shell of a stern man who was too proud and busy to become vulnerable to an illness?”

So I came up with a list:

• Listen

• Empathize

• Get to know him

• Show patience

• Don't force or preach

After listening to him, I expressed concern about his symptoms, and I calmly explained that waiting and ignoring signs would likely lead to more time off than if addressed sooner. He understood, and we located a physician that would be a good fit for him.

After his doctor visit, he agreed he should have gone sooner. Although he missed work for about a week, he hoped his diagnosis wasn’t the worst-case scenario.

Fortunately, his diagnosis was treatable, and he was able to return to work quickly. We continued our work together, allowing me to monitor his progress and watch for any further warning signs and symptoms. He wants to continue running his company for many years; to achieve his goals, his perspective about self-care and medicine needed to change. Now, he shares the importance of being empowered to control his own health and promotes wellness throughout his company.