5 Ways to Make the Most of Your Sick Days

Entrepreneurship is a 24-hour-a-day profession. You
can’t afford to take time off unexpectedly -- but
nonetheless, your body sometimes rebels. If your fever
is spiking and you can’t stop sneezing, you probably
have to cancel your client meetings (no one wants to do
business with Typhoid Mary). But that doesn’t mean you
have to abandon all hopes of productivity.
Here’s how you can harness the power of sick days to
get ahead in business.
Related: The ABCs of Offering Time Off
1. Write a first draft . Are you going to compose a
brilliant client proposal or a stunningly incisive book
proposal when you’re stuffed full of cough medicine?
Doubtful. But the fact that you know you’re off your
game also frees you up from the perfectionist impulses
that plague so many of us when we’re feeling well.
Instead, use the “license to be awful” to whip out a first
draft that you know will need serious revision. Often, the
hardest part is just getting started. Take the opportunity
to put your ideas on paper, and they may turn out better
than you anticipated.
2. Read professional development books . It’s tempting
to curl up with a thriller or a romance novel when you’re
under the weather. But even though you’re resting your
body, you can still stretch your mind. You can attack the
stack of business books you’ve been meaning to read
and learn something new about your business or how to
improve your skills.
Related: Coping With Sickness When a Deadline Looms
3. Watch educational videos . Sometimes you’re too sick
even to pick up a laptop or a book. All you feel like doing
is sitting back and watching television – which is fine.
But instead of binging on Golden Girls reruns, stretch
your mind by watching a documentary film about a
subject you’d like to explore further or inspiring YouTube
videos. Not sure what else to watch? Start planning now
for your next sick day by creating an online folder of
videos to watch when you’re not feeling well like longer
talks you might not have time to check out during your
regular workday but that you know you’d benefit from.
4. Figure out better processes . Your body may be
impaired, but your mind -- lying in bed and free to roam --
may actually be in an optimal position to come up with
new ideas for your business. Think through the
obstacles you face -- whether it’s sourcing materials,
onboarding new staffers or dealing with an extreme
volume of email. Are there ways you can systematize
and make improvements? Getting away from the grind at
your desk may free you up to think about the big picture
-- and new ways to address problems.
5. Sleep . If you’re in really bad shape, you may only be
able to sleep -- and that can actually be the most
productive act of all. As author Tony Schwartz points
out , only one out of 40 people can feel fully rested on
less than seven hours per night of sleep. A full 95
percent of people require at least seven to eight hours
per night, so if you’re not getting that -- and most of us
aren’t -- it’s healthy to recharge and stock up.
Related: 4 Ways to Manage -- from the Sick Bed