This blog post was written by Trevor Conrod, Fitness Coach at Nivati. You can see more of their content on the Nivati platform and on the Nivati blog. If you want to learn more about Nivati, click here.

Exhausting, stressful, and daunting. These are just a few ways long work shifts are described for the average person. Now, let's throw a chronic illness into the mix, and work can become a different beast. In today's article, I will share my experience navigating my chronic illness at work and my best practices and routines to get you in a position to take on your next workday with a new sense of being.

My Chronic Illness

My name is Trevor, and I am a fitness coach and owner of LWStrength, a fitness club based in Watertown, CT. In 2018 I fell asleep behind the wheel and totaled my car. What then seemed to be a minor concussion would soon show signs of a life-changing chronic disorder. Narcolepsy is a chronic disorder that causes excessive daytime sleepiness. As you can imagine, for a high-energy motivator and business owner, dealing with a chronic illness at work added challenges and obstacles unimaginable to those looking in from the outside. This disorder forced me to rethink my daily routines and business practices. And after nearly three years of trial and error, I can finally say that I am in a position of new "normality." Here's how I am managing my chronic illness at work.

Impact On Work Life

As a solopreneur, everything falls on your shoulders. And with my narcolepsy, it quickly became apparent that I would need to put processes in place to help myself out if I were to have any chance at being successful. 

Shortly after my crash, the symptoms and impacts of my disorder started to show, and my work no doubt suffered. Fitness classes that needed memorization slowly left my headspace, leaving me blank, my ambition dropped by the wayside, and my workdays started getting shorter as I inevitably started sleeping longer (narcolepsy's top symptom: excessive daytime sleepiness). 

As with any physical or mental illness, you will face daily challenges. But don't let the obstacles discourage you from seeking resolutions and a better quality of life. You owe it to yourself to thrive and rise in the workplace just like everyone else.

Work-Life Balance

When dealing with a chronic illness at work, everyday tasks that may seem simple can become demanding hassles on their own. And the energy consumed at work may consequently increase, leaving you with little left to put into your outside life. Without proper planning and judgment, you can drain yourself into a cycle of poor work-life balance.

Poor work-life balance is something I have, and continue to, battle weekly. For example, if I'm sleeping during the day, missed work will need to be completed that night or squeezed into another day's schedule. This constant rescheduling has led to many late nights and stressful days where I feel inadequate or incapable of doing my job. Although I have come a long way in the work-life department, more on my processes below, I will continuously work to improve the balance. We should work to live, not live to work.

How to Overcome These Challenges

Now that we've touched on two of the most prominent challenges facing those with chronic illness at work, those being underperforming at work and poor work-life balance, let's dive into the top processes that have helped me get back to a place of presence. Remember that the methods listed below took me many months to get the hang of and develop into daily habits. And that doesn't mean I don't have off days, either! While these methods may be my saving grace, they may not all work for your situation. The important thing is to take away what you can and customize the processes to suit your individual needs better.

Monotask

You read that right. In a world of pilling to-dos and never-ending obligations, multitasking seems the obvious and only way to get things done. But when we truly look into the science behind what our mind is doing when "multitasking," we are just "task-switching" or rapidly moving from one idea to the next. These bouts of task switching not only decrease your productivity but also decrease the focus given to each task at hand.

Monotasking (tackling one task at a time) has been one of my saving graces for getting work done with limited daily energy. My chronic sleep disorder hinders my daily energy output. Therefore, effectively completing tasks and challenging obligations on time meant giving monotasking a serious look. Going from juggling multiple ideas and assignments at once to limiting myself to just one task at a time was challenging. However, monotasking has been my preferred way to work after continuously reminding myself that this was for my benefit and would allow me to be more focused with my limited energy.

Plan Everything

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, one narcolepsy symptom I faced, and continue to deal with, is lapses in memory and brain fog. Although you may not experience these symptoms with your chronic illness, I believe this next practice can help anyone become more organized and structured. Which, in turn, can alleviate unnecessary stress and lead to a more manageable work experience.

Schedule, plan, and take notes of everything. You may think, "Well, that sounds pretty overwhelming!" But even more overwhelming is forgetting important meetings, shifts, and other essential obligations. Whether you are a business owner or employee, organizing your work and life events will create tremendous relief when managing your chronic illness at work.

Here are how my days are planned in my online calendar to give you a quick overview of just how far you can take this practice.

Work Events and Shifts

In this category, I plan all my work shifts, special events, and anything related to on-the-clock time. Even if specific shifts remain similar from week to week, getting this overview on my calendar is a must when scheduling other tasks around shifts and gaining insight into work days ahead.

Life Events and Family

This category is for all things personal life. These can be things like birthdays, family outings, and movie nights. You name it. It only takes one moment to schedule it, and I have peace of mind knowing I won't look inconsiderate when I inevitably forget an important date and time. Not only that, but others will notice how organized you are when you undoubtedly "remember" something most wouldn't.

Complete Brain Dump

I dump anything I don't want to think about for this last category. Doing this is something that I find helpful when feeling overwhelmed and has allowed me to stay consistent with daily hygiene and other necessary tasks. For example, in this category, I schedule medication times, shower times, times to check in with family members, and more. Setting these tasks ahead frees me from worrying about not getting them done.

Communicate

The last tip I am going to be talking about is communication. Something so simple, yet often forgotten about, can be an incredible benefit to managing your chronic illness at work. Remember the message I mentioned above? We are working to live our lives, not simply to work. If your work obligations are beginning to take a toll on you, it may be time to speak up.

Early on with my narcolepsy, I was afraid and ashamed to tell anyone about it. I didn't want my clients to think I couldn't handle the workload or that I wasn't fit for the job. It wasn't until after I started communicating my story that I found the opposite was true. Not only did my clients further respect my drive and dedication, but they sympathized with me when things didn't always go to plan. Communicating with your clients or employer can be essential to feeling safe and understood in your workplace.

Feel Empowered

Managing your chronic illness in the workplace can be challenging. However, it's important to remember that you are not alone. Dealing with a chronic illness does not make you abnormal. On the contrary, you are courageous for simultaneously taking on responsibilities and managing your own struggles. Feel free to communicate what you are going through with others. You may be surprised by their compassion and understanding. 

Remember to customize the tips above to best suit your daily routine. You may need a different strategy to manage your illness depending on your work environment and the type of work you do. The important thing is that you are taking steps to balance your work-life better. And by reading this article, you are already off to a great start! 

Here are some more resources that can help you navigate your chronic illness at work:

• How to Practice Self-Love
• STOP: A Valuable Meditation to Cope with Stress
• How to Prioritize Self-Care and Your Mental Health

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