Get A Promotion or Raise Despite a Serious Health Condition

Get A Promotion or Raise Despite a Serious Health Condition

Do you want a rewarding career despite having an autoimmune condition, a chronic disease, an anxiety disorder, a mental health condition, or other health concern?  Do you also want a promotion or pay raise because your performance is fantastic, despite your illness?  If so, you’ll benefit from tips on maximizing your productivity.

I have a dream career.  I love every task assigned, and I appreciate and respect my employers.  I’m paid very well and just received a significant pay raise.  But I also have chronic fatigue syndrome.  I once had fatigue (and anxiety) so bad that I could only manage work as a writer for The Voice Magazine, which I also love.

But lately, in my dream career, I’ve had relapses of chronic fatigue.  This past week, I was sick six out of seven days, triggered by toxic glass cleaner fumes and exasperated by a dental crown implant.

So, I was left to figure out how a person can flourish in a career despite a disease or condition.  I am not a doctor, but the following is what is helping me not just survive but thrive:

First, eat super clean—and exercise—without fail.  This means processed foods and restaurant meals are off-limits.  It also means that you should monitor your diet by looking at the Bristol Stool Chart.  Yes, this chart will show you what an ideal poo looks like.  If you don’t have that perfect poo, at least once a day, effortlessly (within 30 seconds of sitting on the toilet), there is likely something wrong with your diet.  And if something is wrong with your diet, it will impact your health.  To fix your diet, eat as close to nature as possible.  I mostly eat raw fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, plain yogurt, bran, and sushi.  I no longer eat anything with added sugar and avoid processed food.

But, since introducing almond milk/pineapple smoothies, Bristol’s Stool Chart wouldn’t be too happy with me.  I believe I need to eat the solid pineapple, rather than slush it up, to stay at peak health and, thus, peak performance.

But don’t forget to exercise daily, at least performing a thirty-minute walk.  Also include weight training.  (You can use something called bands if weights are too costly.) And do some cardio.  You need at least some form of exercise to stay in top shape.  Ask a doctor how to best proceed, ideally a sports doctor, or at the very least, a physically fit doctor.  In most cases, exercising boosts health for long-term productivity.

Make sure your education leads to an exciting career.  If you’re fulfilled at work, you can excel, get promoted, minimize stress, and earn a decent living.  A fulfilling career also means that days at work when you’re sick will be more tolerable—and more tolerated.  But to find exciting work, don’t just pick a job off the cuff; do research.  In other words, do a Myers-Briggs personality test.  Then research careers suited for your personality type, and then research the job duties, pay, education required, etcetera, on a job search portal such as indeed.com.  You should be doing this before selecting an academic major.

I’ve discovered that I love marketing and working for an entrepreneurial firm.  Had I taken a personality test thirty years ago, I would have applied to the business school long ago.  So wisely choose your academic pursuit and subsequent career.  A loved career is easier to maintain in sickness and in health.

Have cold showers.  The research clearly states cold showers are excellent for people with autoimmune conditions.  When I was first introduced to cold showers, I thought, “No way!” But I was hooked when I tried a cold shower during a sick spell with chronic fatigue.  The cold shower actually healed my fatigue and nausea for several hours, boosting my energy and feeling of wellness throughout the day.  Compare this to hot showers, which, without question, made me feel a hundred times sicker.  I previously wondered why people with chronic fatigue said, when sick, they had to choose between a hot shower or sitting on the patio as that’s all they could muster.  I firmly believe they had to choose because hot showers reduced their power and made them sicker.  Had they opted for cold showers instead, they could have showered, sat on the patio, and done possibly more.  They might have even eventually returned to work.

Work remotely.  COVID was a boon for some people with diseases because COVID made remote work more common.  I just recently received a big raise at my remote job.  But if I had been in an office setting, I wouldn’t have lasted.  To illustrate, some days I feel sick and need to eat lots of fruits and veggies and take naps just to keep my energy high.  Remote work allows me time outside the 9 to 5 schedule to make up for time spent napping.  Remote work also means I’m not filled with anxiety over office politics and long commutes.

There are many strategies for keeping productivity high at a job should you have a disease or condition.  These tips hopefully help at least one reader get on track for a rewarding career, despite a debilitating illness.