4 Ways To Make A Sick Day Serve You

We've all been there, feeling far less than our usual healthy selves and NOT at all ready to face a day full of deadlines and smashing  those goals. 

So, in honour of those who like me -  are sometimes tempted to nurse their sickness with a duvet day - let me share my top 4 tips for being PRODUCTIVE whilst on a sick day! 

1) Accept You Will Need To Play Catch Up

You're ill and that means rest! So accept the inevitable, you probably WON'T be able to complete as much as you would do on a usual day - HOWEVER,  you can still make a START! 

Write down exactly what you need to get done, and then PRIORITISE. what needs to be done sooner rather than later, who else is depending on these deadlines/who are you reporting to? 

Take these questions into consideration and make a list of WHAT needs to be completed first. 

2) 3 Things To Complete & Take Off The Pressure

As rest is super IMPORTANT - you should aim to complete 3 tasks in a sick day maximum! These goals can be as big or small as YOU choose, however these are some of the tasks I do on a sick day to give you an idea:

• Research & write a blog post - When I find a topic I'm passionate about, it can take a very short amount of time to write a blog post (around 30 mins). Add in some time for sourcing photos/links then probably around an 1 hour. 

• Manage social media channels & stay up to date on emails - Being sick in bed leaves us with plenty of time to make sure our social media channels are fresh and up to date with any links, articles or blog posts. I try to play catch up with my twitter profile and any Facebook Groups I moderate - ie. providing articles, scripts and other handy resources to share with the online writing community. Emails are super easy to keep track of too - make sure you respond to ANY that have been in your inbox for a few days!

• Get rid of the pressure - You are entitled to take a day off when you're not feeling your best! In fact, it's a NECESSITY! Without days like these, you'll run yourself down and burn out. Rest days are IMPORTANT, so stop feeling guilty! 

3) Stop Worrying & Focus On The Task 

You've accepted you're going to do 3 tasks/ whatever you can manage so let go of the stress and worry! It takes time away from the task at hand! 

Do these three tasks at your own pace, have breaks and don't tire yourself out. Listen to some music, meditate or just sit somewhere that's peaceful and quiet so you're giving yourself the best chance of completing these tasks. 

4) Feed Your Creativity

It's SO important to stay refreshed and motivated - and sick days are the PERFECT excuse to sit back, relax and soak in all that creative goodness! 

Whether it's binge watching your favourite shows on Netflix or getting lost in a good book - it will ALL serve your own writing. 

Remember to make a few bullet points when inspiration strikes, otherwise - get comfy and enjoy taking this time  for yourself and making the sick day SERVE you!