4 Ways Working Mums Can Manage Sick Days

Work is frenetic, and deadlines are always looming. The last thing you want is for your child to break down, or for your own body to betray you. As tough as every woman is, we all have those work days where we have no idea what we are going to do with our sick children or our sick selves. With the viral flu seasons coming and going as it pleases, here are some strategies to help working mums…

1. Get Real About the Work

The first step in managing a sick day is to gain some perspective and get real about what will get done. Thanks to technology, you can Skype in to meetings or turn conversations into conference calls. But sharing the reason why you physically aren’t on site is need-to-know only. You may have to lower your expectations when it comes to your work, as you may not be able to accomplish as much, especially if you are dealing with a sick child. Your attention will be divided, however; you can strive to push yourself as realistically as possible.

2. Get Your Priorities Straight

When time is limited—for any reason, prioritizing is critical. Start with what’s due immediately and what your boss has identified and appointed to you as critical. Break tasks down into doable chunks, do not just attempt to get a chunk of work done because you will end up putting more pressure on your brain. Use free time, such as when your child is asleep, to accomplish work that requires longer periods of focus.

3. Block Domestic Distractions 

You would not notice dirty dishes or clothes if you were at the office, so if there’s important work to be done, don’t procrastinate with domestic duties. If you or your kid is super miserable, or a doctor visit beckons, it might be worth it to throw up your hands and take a personal/sick day. If your kid just needs some couch time, try to focus on only her in the beginning of the day. One focused hour of  maybe reading together or playing a can go a long way toward buying you some quiet time later to get some work done.

4 Get help for that day if you can

Sick days might require you to get some occasional back up care, if possible. Even if you’re working from home, having another adult there to run interference will allow you to take longer calls, and spend more time getting more work done. Even if you have to ask a friend or a family relative to come over for that day, you should take the opportunity.