If you love freelancing, you’ll agree that it’s rewarding and energizing but challenging nonetheless. And the truth is that it is hard work when you combine your active work with all of the “running a business” work that comes with being self-employed. So, what do you do when life gets in the way? Specifically, illness? It’s not like a typical job where you can call in sick…right? Take a look below and find out!

Sick happens

Even if you take good care of yourself, you’ll get sick. It’s just part of living in a germ- and people-filled world! But how do you keep those deadlines on schedule when you feel sick? And, should you even try? Here are some tips.

• Accept that you’re sick: This was the hardest part for me. I just kept denying I was sick, which made it worse for me. Accept that you are sick and move into “sick mode” regarding your working hours and realistic expectations.

• Use whatever sick aids you can: This could be cold-and-flu medicine or antibiotics. It might be a hot cup of tea with honey. Maybe it’s a variety of comfort foods. Whatever you need to use to help you get through your work hours, use it. If you hold off, you’re only making it harder on yourself.  

• Shorten your hours: This is the tip that I found the most useful. When I feel the need to work on essential deadlines while battling a high fever, I agree to work only 4 or 5 hours daily. I organize my time to get the crucial things done, and then, after my time is up, I spend the rest of the afternoon recuperating.

• Let your customers know: If you can’t work but have a pressing deadline or a meeting, let your customers know what’s going on. It seems counter-intuitive to admit weakness, but they’re humans, too! If you send them a short email letting them know you’re feeling unwell and would like to extend the deadline or reschedule, the worst they can say is “no.” I’ve often been surprised by how many people are understanding and compassionate when I’ve had to do that throughout the years.

Remember to take care of you

It’s tempting to get stuck in that “I have to work every day or my business will die” mentality. The reality is this. If your business can not legitimately survive one day with you sick in bed, then it’s time to put some more effort into stepping back from day-to-day operations.  

Not only will it ease your mind when you someday have to take a sick day or two or seven, but it will also be good for your overall mental health if you decide to —gasp — take a day off to do something other than work.  

The other thing to remember is that you are a human first and a freelancer second. This is something I really emphasized in my book, The Starving Freelancer: How to shift from struggle to success, because it’s not addressed very often. If you compromise your health to work no matter what, you may regret that later. It could be in a tangible way, such as a prolonged illness. Or it could be in a less tangible way, such as chronic burnout and mental health issues.  

But enough from me. What do you think about illness and freelancing? Is there a better way to juggle both? What are some of your tried-and-tested tricks for being sick while working?