Hey ladies guess what time it is? Yep! Every year it seems to get worse and every month within each year seems to remind you of your benchmark in how much worse it is getting. If you're wondering what I'm talking about and you're not a woman, I'm referring to the monthly cycle.
The pain from cramping on top of gas, bloating, and fatigue is enough to reduce us to tears as it is already. But wait, there's more! Women who are 35 and older typically start experiencing hot flashes and cold spells as if to have the flu during menstruation. This puts an entirely new spin on "Should I call out of work today or go in? Am I a mouse or a woman?" Depending on your values and how you view yourself in the world, you're going to feel some type of way about how this nightmarish experience plays a role in your work life.
As I'm suffering right now, I decided to write about this and see if I can help you (while helping myself) navigate this difficult situation. If you work from home, consider yourself blessed. There is no one around to judge you and your decisions. You are your own boss, and therefore, must face your decisions along with that privilage. If you're working for someone else at a location or from home, there is obviously some ongoing deligation you must do in order to prove to your boss you are indespensable and that calling out just one day won't hurt the company's bottom line.
I will get to the self employed women in a minute. If your boss knows you're doing a good job and you can coax a co-worker to pick up your shift, you won't have a problem with taking the day off. If you go the route of showing up anyway, with symptoms and all, prepare yourself.
Make sure you have enough sanitary products on hand. Pack everything you need in a book bag. Wear 8 hour adhesive heat pads on your worst pain spots and make sure they don't show through your clothing/uniform (yes I have done this before). Taping them on with masking tape will assure they will not fall off your skin during the day. That could be embarrassing if you're not careful.
Bring the essentials: Pain relievers, tea, honey, cravable items, nuts, and plenty of water if not provided are enough to get you through the day. If you're prone to moodiness, take some St. John's Wart to balance things out. It is not only for people who suffer from depression, it actually balances out your hormones a little so things are easier on you. If you have a physically active job vs an office job, swap the tea for the best coffee you can pick up in a large. You got that right! The caffeine helps to fight off the pain by giving you the right amount of adrenoline you need. Just be sure to drink it at a pace with your water so you don't crash. The pain on your body will be much worse if you do. For the active workers, bring only what you need and go for the cravable items while you're on post/out in the field. You can get what you need on your break and be just fine. If you're prone to irritability while ordering or picking up your cravable items, bring a co-worker buddy with you to keep you mellow.
For the self employed women, you have so many options, it's out of this world. This can make some of us indecisive with cravings and can lead to irritability. Try balancing out your irritability with logic and frequent breaks. Trust me, this helps. If you need to take a nap and sleep on it, do so for an hour or two. Go with the first thing in mind after waking. That's your body talking to you and your body doesn't lie. Listen to it! If you have a life partner and children, ask your partner to take over domestic duties and focus on you for today. Allow yourself to be distracted for a few minutes if needed to recallibrate. Do not shut your emotions off or be ashamed of them! I'm not saying that posting "I will kill my next door neighbor for making noise!" on facebook will help, but a more passionate "Fixing my networking issues is stressing me out, but I got this!" may help you to vent in a healthy way. You can even follow it up with a play by play photo montage of how you tackled your issues. It makes for interesting content. Holding everything you got going on and isolating yourself is never the answer. However, you do need to keep in mind what you're telling a general audience vs your personal friends. Always ask yourself, "Is what I'm about to say helping my brand?"
As for taking a day off my self employed ones, keep dreaming. There is no such thing in that world. You can make it easier on yourself though. Gentlemen, if you know a woman in your life you appreciate or know a colleague who can use this, please share it. Ladies, let me know your thoughts and thank you all for reading.