In the world of work, there are written and unwritten rules. One of them is not to take sick leave too often. This is not to say that you should go to work sick. It is rather that there are some methods that can be used to significantly reduce the annual number of sick days without having to make any changes. We show how and why this is beneficial for your career.
Sick days and career – what to look out for?
If you are sick more often in your company, you miss work days. At the end of the year, when the ornamental agreements are calculated, it becomes apparent that one has simply managed less than others. In addition, one gets a reputation away. People who miss a lot of work are quickly seen as shirkers. Often wrongly, but people are like that. If you want to become a manager at some point, you should be careful not to be discredited in this way.
What can be done to avoid sick days?
Colds and flu-like infections are among the most common reasons why employees miss work. Yet infections could be so easily avoided. Wet hair in the cold, for example, is one such factor. It is not for nothing that mothers used to say when it was wild outside: rain hat children! Studies show that wet hair does not in itself cause illness. But the cold spot on the head damages the immune system in the short term. This makes it very easy for infections to take hold. The same goes for basic things like washing your hands or wearing a mouth guard. This way, a few days could be saved per year.
Another issue is back pain. It is also one of the most common causes of lost working days. It would be so easy to do something about this. Doing a few minutes of spinal gymnastics with your colleagues every day can loosen up hardened muscles along the nerve pathways. Thus, pain is avoided and does not arise in the first place. The effort required is really minimal. But also in your free time – a few targeted spinal exercises now and then. This will reduce the number of days you have to miss work.
And last but not least, there are psychosomatic problems. They manifest themselves in many different ways. But the root lies in the psyche: tinnitus and burnout are classic forms in which the problems manifest themselves. Workers can also do something about this. Walking and jogging have been shown to reduce excess adrenaline released by stress. Relaxation exercises, yoga, Tai Chi and occasional meditation or autogenic training – they also reduce the effects of mental stress. For those who have it really bad, they should not be afraid to seek out a psychotherapist. This will help you work through tough phases of life without suffering any damage.
If you combine all these preventive measures, you will massively increase your productivity at work.
