Pulling a sickie ?

[bigtalltrees]

For a variety of reasons, I am exhausted, which is affecting my sleep, and my physical health. I was told by the doctor a month ago to take at least a month off due to this. Physical symtoms aren't serious, just skin, digestion, feeling sick, and back and nerve pain, headaches intermittently. Mood is affected.

I haven't taken any time off, I don't necessarily want to. I have just had an increase in hours approved. I don't want to be honest and let them know I'm burnout, because of the increase in hours and because a lot of the exhaustion is my circumstances.

I thought a week off would help me catch my breath, but I don't known what? Is there a sickie excuse I could use? I've actually done something to my back today, feels like a crushing pain in back and torso but hopefully that'll feel better in the morning !

Yes, I couldn't verbalize it. As you say, I didn't think I was actually "ill" but I just wasn't functioning. I was actually ill. My brain was the bit that needed to recover. In the same way your lungs need to recover if you've got the flu, or your ankle needs to recover if it was broken, sometimes it's your head. And somehow it is less acceptable for that bit to need to recover - but in someway its one of the most important bits. Listen to the GP. Listen to your body.