Sick or Rundown? 8 Self-Care Tips For Working Moms
Pandemic restrictions are finally lifting and people are starting to find their way towards a “new normal,” including unmasking, dining indoors and attending large gatherings. While this brings excitement and relief from isolation, it also brings an increase in transmittable illnesses. COVID is certainly part of that, but the common cold and stomach bugs are running rampant and even the flu seems to be enjoying a longer than normal season.
I used to get sick once or twice a year, but during the pandemic I managed to go for 2.5 full years without contracting a single illness! But just days after my 6-month old started daycare, it finally happened. I got hit with a bad cold.
I had forgotten how miserable it is to be sick, and I had no idea how much worse it can be when you also have a sick kid to boot! The fever and chills, the sore throat making it tough to talk, the congestion, and the awful fatigue. Pre-parenthood, I might take a sick day or two to recover and then just dose myself with Dayquil and go back to work. But with a sick kid at home from daycare who wakes up every hour of the night coughing and miserable, that just isn’t possible.
I felt totally overwhelmed. How was I going to get through this? How would I get better with no sleep? How would I be able to get any work done?
Well, I made it through the cold. And I learned a heck of a lot on the way. Here are some of my tips for working moms on surviving (and thriving) when you get sick. And as a bonus, I also sourced some tips from a few of my expert mama friends for ya.
TIP #1: GET HELP WITH CHILDCARE
Not everyone has the luxury of being able to pay a Nanny or backup babysitter. Obviously if that is an option for you, then book it! But if not, try to rely on family and friends as much as possible.
My husband is a liver transplant surgeon and often works long hours, including night shifts. Therefore, I usually am the default parent during weekdays and at night. But when both myself and Ella were sick, I knew I needed some sleep. Oren kindly offered to sleep in the guest room and take care of the baby during the few nights when I was at my worst. At first I felt guilty and almost declined, but then my body was screaming, “Mama, please say YES!” Those 2 nights of sleep were gold.
Once I was starting to be on the mend, I had some urgent work that needed to get done, including some meetings that I really didn’t want to reschedule. Since Ella was home from daycare I had reverted to working mom/ Nanny and I wasn’t sure how I would manage. I asked my mother in law to babysit for a day and was able to catch up on some of those urgent work-related tasks, taking some pressure of the backlog off my shoulders.
Tip #2: EMPLOY AUNTIE TECHNOLOGY (AND SKIP THE GUILT)
Let’s say that you don’t have childcare and that family and friends aren’t available to help out. Your head is pounding, your nose is running a marathon and you are about to pull your hair out. A little tip from my supermom sister-in law Dana Conrad, who I call for every mom question I have: Mama, put the TV on! Or an iPad. Or your cell phone.
Don’t feel guilty about putting your kid in front of a screen. You are in survival mode and you need moments of respite to keep going. I am not suggesting that you do this all day every day, but there is no evidence that screen time in limited quantities (such as when mom is sick and needs to rest) does ANY harm to your child. Plenty of us millennials watched TV when we were little and we turned out JUST FINE.
TIP #3: TAKE DRUGS - THE LEGAL KIND :)
Dayquil, Tylenol Cold, Mucinex, etc. are there for a reason. Take them. You will feel better and you will have additional energy to go about your day. You will also sleep better at night which will help you get better faster. There is also evidence that immune boosting vitamins such as Vitamin C and Zinc can help you get over a cold faster, so consider adding those to your daily regimen. Finally, food is medicine! You may have the urge to eat comfort food, which is fine, but try to eat comfort food that also provides lots of nutrients. Go for one of the 3 S’s: stews, soups, and smoothies, or if your stomach is upset, go for some toast, a baked potato, or Cream of Wheat. And make sure to stay as hydrated as possible. Consume extra water, herbal tea, and gatorade (especially if you are having tummy troubles.)
TIP #4: TAKE TIME OFF (OR OUT)
If you have a job with sick leave, take it. Don’t feel guilty, it’s there for a reason! Studies show that people who take sick leave recover faster and are more productive than those who go to work sick. You will get more done and do a better job if you are well, not to mention that if you have a job that requires you to be on site, you will avoid spreading the sickness to others.
If you don’t have sick days or you work for yourself, another option is to “take time out.” That means saying no to non-urgent tasks or projects, rescheduling or postponing what you can, and trying to limit your hours. None of those 16 hour days you crazy Type A’ers! Saying no can be hard, especially for mothers who are so used to people-pleasing. But remember, you can only take care of others if you are well enough to do so, which means you need to make your own wellness a priority.
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TIP #5: PRIORITIZE TASKS
Once you take time out and reduce your workload, the next step is to streamline your to-do list so that you can accomplish more in less time and with less energy. If you’re using my intentional calendaring method, this is already second nature to you. But essentially, what you’ll want to do is take a look at your calendar and your to-do list and highlight the things that have a deadline and that cannot be put off. For example, you might have an assignment that is due this week or a bill that must be paid in order to avoid late fees. These items will be the first things that you do, whenever you have the time and energy to do them.
Truthfully, you can probably postpone everything else on your list until you are better. But if you feel that you must move the ball forward or if you are feeling better but not 100%, you can also add some other tasks to the list. I call these “essential” tasks, which means that they are the tasks on your to-do list that will give you the biggest bang for your buck. Ask yourself which items on your list will produce the biggest results with the lowest amount of effort.
TIP #6: BATCH WORK AND STAY FOCUSED
Another tip is to batch your work. Keep similar tasks together in your schedule, so that you don’t go jumping from one thing to another. For example, if you know that you have the most energy in the morning after you drink coffee, try to do your most difficult or brain-intensive tasks at that time of the day. Save easier administrative tasks for those moments when you feel yourself losing steam or when the Dayquil starts to wear off (and you aren’t supposed to take another one for 2 more hours.)
Keep distractions to a minimum. Working mom and psychedelic integration coach (how cool is that!) Liz Chernett recommends setting a specific time of the day to answer emails and texts. Being constantly interrupted by communication throughout our day as opposed to doing one thing at a time is disruptive and disturbs concentration, something that is in short supply when you are sick and haven’t been getting enough sleep.
TIP #7: SNEAK IN SELF-CARE WHEREVER YOU CAN
A little self-care goes a long way. Take a break and do a quick meditation. Drinking a cup of hot tea with lemon and honey or ginger is a simple and effective way to relieve throat pain and promote healing. You can also do some other self-care activities on your own or with your child, such as taking a power nap, making your bathroom into a steam room, taking a bath, or eating popsicles to soothe sore throats (hat tip again to my sister-in-law Dana).
TIP #8: FOCUS ON PREVENTATIVE WELLNESS
Finally, my friends, this probably won’t be the last time you get sick. Supermom coach Liz Chernett reminded me just how important it is to practice wellness and build immunity before you get sick. Not only can this prevent you from getting sick in the first place but it can also make it easier to recover and bounce back. Liz recommends a daily regimen of vitamins and herbs. I’m going to go ahead and add in a daily dose of stress reduction, which is proven to boost your immune response and promote healing.
Get well soon and stay well Mamas!