Is it just me or do you also feel guilty of taking sick leave? You know what I mean – the sore throat you are experiencing is real. You know your body is not feeling well, but for some reason you feel the need to apologize for it.
This happens to me every time I am unwell and have to message my boss. My text starts or ends with – “I am sorry”, “I will try my best to be there.”, “If you need me for anything, I would be available from home.” We are in other words have the need to soften being human.
Even when our bodies are clearly asking for rest, our minds are busy running scenarios of its own:
“Will people think I am faking it?”
“Will I lose my job if I don’t turn up today?”
“This year my promotion is gone to XYZ because I am taking the sick leave.”
This guilt is the by-product of the hustle culture. We worship the ‘pushing through’ attitude more than listening to your body. This is not 100% a fault of yours or mine.
One – It is fueled by companies that reward overwork, peers who brag about ‘never taking the day off’.
Two – Some of us misuse the sick leaves. This misuse makes the management question every sick leave applied for.
To all those overthinking minds like mine:
- Taking rest is not wrong, it doesn’t make you weak. It just means that you are self-aware and exactly know what is needed by you to handle your health.
- Sick leave doesn’t mean just a fever, cold, headache, it also means you are burnout, emotionally not at capacity.
So next time, if you have taken a sick leave, do not worry about tomorrow. Do not worry about what people will think of you. Please know that you are not alone. I have bunch of friends, along with me, of course, who have the guilt of taking sick leave. Maybe we should take a pause and appreciate ourselves for being aware of our body’s need.
