Balancing Working From Home with Chronic Illness
I was recently diagnosed with a chronic illness that I will have to deal with for the rest of my life. On the one hand, several symptoms make sense in light of this diagnosis. On the other hand, there are fresh challenges and adjustments to how I approach my daily life – a life that includes working a business from my home.
Let’s talk about the benefits and challenges of working from home with a chronic illness, because I know I am not alone in this situation.
Benefits of Working from Home with a Chronic Illness
Flexible Schedule
For many, chronic illness means pain that comes and goes, fatigue, extra doctor appointments, or special medical care.
The flexibility of working from home allows for rest during flare-ups or fatigue. It is easier to manage medical appointments, and even do the daily self-care that you need.
Better Control of Environment
You can make your workspace anything you need it to be at home. Manage everything from lighting to temperature, or even noise and cleanliness—important for certain conditions (e.g., migraines, autoimmune disorders).
Everything you need to take care of yourself is readily available, from any assistive devices, to medications.
There is also less exposure to viruses or allergens that could trigger or worsen symptoms for some people.
Challenges of Working from Home with a Chronic Illness
Isolation and Loneliness
It has been shown that a lack of daily human interaction can affect mental health. And often those with chronic illness struggle with anxiety or depression already because of all their physical struggles. While it is convenient working from home, it can be isolating, if we’re not careful.
Difficulty Maintaining Boundaries
This is a hard one for me! Work and rest time can blend together, leading to overwork or irregular routines. Because I live in my workplace, I have to work hard to create those boundaries in my routine, my space, and my mind.
The other boundaries that may be difficult to maintain may be with those you work FOR. Just because you are at home, does not mean you are always available.
As someone with fatigue, but also a ferocious people-pleasing personality, I can tend to stretch myself too far to accomplish a task requested of me, even though my body is telling me to rest.
Distractions or Home Environment Stressors
This is true for anyone, even those without chronic illness. Home may not always be a peaceful or organized space for work and recovery.
It may be convenient for self-care and flexibility. But we often have to work harder to achieve a peaceful workspace within the home.
Tips for Balancing Working from Home with Chronic Illness
Establish a Flexible but Structured Routine
Use a schedule that accommodates rest breaks, symptom monitoring, and productivity windows.
Some things I personally plan for are having more energy very early in the morning and needing to actually take a small nap in the afternoon. I also have specific medications at certain times and other specific things I monitor throughout the day. I make time for my self-care and use my windows of productivity very purposefully.
Be sure to add physical movement, like walking or stretching, into your routine, if possible. This is important for all of us, but especially those of us whole are having to pay special attention to our health.
Communicate Honestly with Employers or Teams
If possible, share your condition and your needs to set expectations. Most people are very understanding, as long there is open communication and deadlines are still met.
I am working on better planning ahead for deadlines, with my new levels of fatigue, so that I can get projects done on time, even when I have less energy for daily work time. I carefully plan my work into my work blocks.
Track Your Health and Workload
Keep a journal or app log to understand your capacity and adjust your workload accordingly. This process has been very helpful to me as someone newly diagnosed and working on figuring out my balance.
Be Kind to Yourself
Accept that productivity may vary and prioritize your well-being over perfection.
A flexible routine structure that honors your physical needs and productivity windows, as well as open communication with co-workers, are essential to balancing working from home with a chronic illness.
