Signed off work - how can I make the most of the time?

[ProfessorofDarkArts]

For a number of reasons - some work related but not all - I have reached the end of my tether and been signed off work. I feel a huge relief but am already stressed about not wasting the time, I need to use it to make some pretty big decisions.

Part of the reason I've got here is that I've taken very little time off in the past 10 years despite going through a house move, divorce, death of a parent and more while trying to remain professional and support my team. I feel like I need a complete change but at the moment all I want to do is sleep. It's not like me to give in and I dont know what to do with the time now I've got it.

If you need to sleep, do it. You are ill. You need to heal.

I was burnt out just before COVID and honestly, this is something you cannot push through. Pushing through will make it worse, not better.

I did some burn-out-specific counselling and the first thing they said was the people who burn out are the people who will just keep pushing through and pushing through until they hit a brick wall.

My personal take-away is that no one is coming to save you on this. I would even tell people at work that I wasn't managing, that I couldn't cope and they let me keep on going cause none of the alternative solutions suited them.

It sounds overly dramatic perhaps, but that Stevie Smith poem 'Not Waving but Drowning' used to buzz round and round my head. I would cry every day on the way to work.

Take care of yourself. The attitude of trying to make the most of your time will dig you down further - and honestly, I understand, I really do.

Sleep, eat, gentle exercise, follow medical advice - it’s not a holiday it’s sick leave so do what it takes to recover in the shortest time, this will vary from person to person.

Just listen to your body. If it wants to rest then Rest. You dont need to feel like you have to fill your time usefully. This is what has contributed to the stress in the first place. There's nothing wrong with doing not a lot for a while.

Thank you, I’ve literally read, slept and briefly pottered in the garden today. It feels very unnatural having permission to do nothing.