When Being Sick Gets In The Way

As most of you know, I would tend to classify myself as a fairly optimistic person. No matter the circumstance, I always try to see the good in things. Yes, I have my initial freak out sessions where I panic and complain but once I’ve wrapped my head around something, I’m pretty good to go. Those closest to me also know that I tend to push myself a little bit harder than I should. I’ll ignore the pain in my ankle after accidentally stepping in a hole and twisting it, I’ll put a smile on my face whenever my autoimmune disorder decides it wants to be present in my day, I’ll normally go to work if I’m sick unless it is severely impacting my functioning (i.e. my migraine being so bad that I cannot see), and I’ll wait until the absolute last minute to go to the doctor which normally results in things being way worse than they should be.

"Not today world"

The past few days I’ve been out flat with this weird migraine/cold/flu/strep throat hybrid. Naturally, my body decides that it wants to call it quits right at the start of Blogtober. Initially, I thought “This will be great! I’ll have heaps of time to get my writing done and I can be super prepared for each day”. But then reality set in. I was exhausted, achy, and completely unmotivated. The thought of having to write anything sounded like the worst thing on the bloody planet.

"Nooope"

But I made a commitment and a promise to myself. I would make it through Blogtober and develop a better writing schedule. I want what I post to be pieces I’m proud of and not cold and flu med fueled rubbish. So how exactly does one find motivation when there is slim to none?

First, I allowed myself the opportunity to rest. When I felt tired and found my writing became incoherent, I took a break. I mean I’m friggin sick and running a fever. I can’t expect to power through everything and then take a nap. My body doesn’t work like that. So I allowed myself the time to rest.

"Fact: Puppy cuddles cure everything"

Once I woke up, I set a timer for 10 minutes. During that 10 minutes, I had to be productive with my writing. After the time had concluded, I allowed myself to either go back to sleep or continue working. Most times I found that I would end up working for more than just the 10 minutes so I felt more accomplished when it was nap time.

Prioritising is something that I find incredibly helpful but even more so when I’m ill. Making a list and organising it into what needs to be done vs what can wait is incredibly helpful to give me a slight boost in motivation. I don’t need to clean my room today. I don’t need to run the list of errands that are piling up. I do need to write one blog post. I do need to rest so I can nip this hybrid monster illness in the bud.

"I wants to move but I should probs sleep"

I have it embedded in my mind that if I do not complete Blogtober I’m a failure. But honestly, who cares? Life gets in the way and that doesn’t make me worth any less. Sure, realistically, I may fail at Blogtober BUT I’m going to try my hardest. If anything, failure will teach me to be better prepared so that I can avoid failing a second time. What are some ways you stay motivated when you’re sick?

And until next time...

Stay Curious!

Never miss an adventure by following along on social media:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter