At first glance, you might assume starting or running a business when you have a chronic illness is the definition of insanity. After all, despite huge progress made in the field of medicine in recent years, with new treatments such as Livewell Clinic’s stem cell therapy available to alleviate suffering, it is still very difficult to live a normal life when you have a chronic illness. So how do you deal with this new life?
Working with a Chronic Illness
In an ideal world, you would not have to work, but if you have a family to support and no other income, you may not have a choice, illness or no illness. There are thousands of people who have no choice but to hold down a job, even though they suffer from autoimmune conditions and other chronic conditions that impact on their health in a myriad of different ways. Life sucks, but we just have to get on with it.
The advantage of working for yourself is that you have a much greater degree of freedom. When you are an employee, you can’t stay at home when you are having a bad day. Day’s off need to be justified and explained, and in most cases, taking significant amounts of time off will lead to dismissal.
As an entrepreneur, you can manage your diary to suit your health. On a bad day, clear the decks and take it easy, or work on something less physically or mentally taxing. The point is that you will find it much easier to run a business when you have a chronic illness than you would as a cog in a corporate machine.
Good Days and Bad Days
Living with a chronic illness means there are ups and downs. Some days you feel on top of the world with a sense that you can accomplish pretty much anything life throws at you. On other days, usually when you have pushed yourself too hard, everything is a struggle and you will want to crawl under the duvet and sleep.
Delegate Tasks
Many entrepreneurs micromanage their businesses to the nth degree. They find it impossible to delegate tasks and responsibilities to others for fear of losing control. You can’t afford to be like this if you are living with a chronic illness.
Have a support system in place and be ready to ask for help when you need it. Instead of struggling to do something you have no experience in, pay someone else to do it. It is better to hire an expert than drain your energy levels struggling to complete a task. Delegating tasks means you can concentrate on the things you are good at. This is a far more productive use of your time.
Tiny Steps
Always remain positive and take each day as it comes. Rome was not built in a day and your business won’t grow overnight. However, if you stay positive, there is no reason you shouldn’t end up with a successful business, despite your chronic illness.
Mia Guerra
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