I’ve been sick this week.
It started last Thursday with a scratchy throat and an odd tingle in my sinuses. In my part of the world, it may be spring according to the calendar, but the weather hasn’t gotten the memo. The temperature is currently 17F with a -5F windchill, and we’re due to get 6-7” inches of snow today. So, I ruled out seasonal allergies. I briefly researched snow mold, which is 100% definitely a real thing! (My friends teased me for being in deep denial.)
But, no, it’s definitely just a run-of-the-mill cold virus. Thankfully, it’s on the milder side compared to some colds I’ve had. In any case, I’ve had to miss a few fun activities and shift my schedule to accommodate naps. I took a meeting when I probably should have bumped it back a few days. Other than some lingering congestion and sniffles, I’m mostly feeling back to normal.
Being sick sucks. I’m lucky to be mostly fairly healthy most of the time, but I think I take it for granted. I’m also lucky that when I am sick, I can basically pause everything and give my body time to rest and heal. I’m self-employed, so I have unlimited sick days. I don’t have parenting or caregiving responsibilities that demand my energy and prolong the healing process. The hardest part of this illness was having a young puppy that still needs a lot of attention.
For many of us, mild illness is mostly inconvenient. We have stuff to do! We have deadlines! We often push ourselves to work through sickness. Some of us just don’t want to fall behind and have to catch up later. Some of us don’t really have a choice.
But the thing about working through sickness is that the sickness itself is also work, so you’re actually working overtime. For the last week, my immune system has been working around the clock to rid my body of this virus. I sometimes forget that my runny nose is not so much caused by the virus itself but by my white blood cells mounting a counterattack.
When framed like that, it sounds like work. Lying flat on my back in bed, fatigue heavy in my limbs, I was conscious of my body’s exertion and the hard work of healing. It feels dramatic, but our capitalistic, hustle-and-grind culture would look at me, prone, and say, “She’s not producing anything. She’s not contributing to the economy or generating value for shareholders. She’s not working.”
We see this mentality applied to all types of healing and rest. Processing trauma and pursuing emotional healing through therapy is often referred to as “doing the work,” but it’s not actually respected or valued on the same level as “real,” paid work.
If you’re into pop culture, you’ve probably heard about Justin Bieber’s recent performance at Coachella. For part of his time on stage, Justin pulled up some of his old songs on YouTube and sang along with his younger self. It was relaxed and informal, yes, and some fans and critics also called it lazy, low-effort, bare minimum.
As a very (very) casual fan, I’m not deep into the Bieber lore, but I’m aware of the fact that he rose to fame at just 13 and that, in many ways, the entertainment industry chewed him up and spit him out. He was scrutinized, criticized, hounded by paparazzi, and treaded as a product. And he was just a child.
His Coachella performance felt profound because he was singing with and to that child — his inner child. Some see a stripped-down, low-key production and call it lazy and low-effort. Some see the healing and emotional labor behind a performance like that and recognize it as powerful and effortful.
Inner work is still work. Healing — physical, emotional, spiritual, or otherwise — is work. The “output” may be less visible, but it’s no less important.
(FWIW, this is why there’s a mirror icon in the Wishful Working branding. It represents the labor of inner work and self-care.)
I do not look forward to my semi-annual cold. I would prefer to be healthy. However, I am begrudgingly thankful for the reminder of my very human limits, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to pass these reminders on to you, reader:
You’re so much more than your economic output.
Rest is absolutely essential.
Healing is real, hard work.
See you next week,
Kara
Kara Detwiller is a writer and creative based in small-town Saskatchewan. She specializes in long-form content writing for enterprise SaaS, cybersecurity, and manufacturing clients. She is also working on her first novel, among other creative pursuits. To connect, reply to this email or find Kara on LinkedIn.
Why Wishful Working? I want to help people thrive in a world obsessed with work and productivity. Together, we’re expanding the definition of productivity, rediscovering life balance, and exploring the many kinds of work that make life possible.
