Effective ways to cope with an injury while still working
Injuries such as pulled muscles are not something we tend to think about much as adults. As we get older and hopefully wiser, these kind of mishaps seem something our children are more likely to succumb to. However, the reality is that many adults injure themselves during their lives in a variety of ways. From accidents at work to accidents at home, they can not only take a long time to heal but also impact greatly on your life.
One area that is especially tricky to deal with when carrying an injury is work. Often, you will not be able to afford to take time off or may not feel the injury is serious enough to warrant absence. This leaves you to cope with your injury until it heals fully while continuing to work. Depending on what work you do and what your job involves, this could be a lot more to handle than it first sounds. Working with an injury is very uncomfortable and can make the working day seem extra long.
What are the best ways to work while carrying an injury?
Speak to your employer
Probably the first thing to do is speak with your manager to let them know about your injury and see what adjustments can be made to help you out. Your role may contain certain daily tasks that are painful or impossible for you to perform as normal until you are better. Once you have spoken to your boss, they may be able to put a whole raft of temporary measures in place from flexible working patterns to being exempt from the tasks that are too much to handle. If every aspect of your role is overly physical, they may even agree to transfer you to another department to recover while working in a more suitable role.
Visit the doctor for help
Another way to help you cope with injury while still working is asking your family doctor for help. They may be able to prescribe some strong painkillers on a temporary basis to help manage any pain. This will help you to go about your day at work without undue discomfort and perform to the best of your abilities. Although you would not to be taking medication for an extended period, it may be wise in the short term until your injury clears up.
Wear compression clothing
A great tip revolves around compression wear clothing that you can wear all day. Many people think this sort of clothing is just for exercising in but it can also help greatly when injured. The innovative design provides gentle compression and support to the injured area. This in turn makes your injury much less uncomfortable and allows you to go about your working day with hardly any pain. Compression wear also promotes greater blood flow around your body which will help the healing process work faster. In all, it is a fabulous way to cope with an injury while continuing to work.
Make sure you can get out in an emergency
A big part of working safely is being able to get out safely and quickly in an emergency. If a fire breaks out for example, you still need to be able to evacuate in good time. This is not always easy, especially if you are on crutches or have other mobility problems. Make sure to set out an emergency escape plan with your manager so you will be safe in any eventuality. Even if someone has to help you, it is key to have a clear plan ready so there are no issues if anything were to happen.
Ask other employees for help
Depending on the extent of your injury or the job you do, it may simply be enough to ask other staff members to help out when needed. If for example, the only thing you cannot do compared to normal is carry a box of paper to the photocopier, then you could ask someone else to do it for while injured. Your colleagues will likely be happy to help when they know the illness at work you are dealing with.
Working with an injury – adapt to survive
Working with an injury is a reality for many people if the injury is not sufficient to warrant an extended absence or you cannot afford any time off. While serious injuries may require a different course of action, if you find yourself working with a muscle strain, tear or other minor injury, it is worth following