As promised, I’m sharing research (and there’s more in the book!) that I discovered while writing on chapter 2 of Keep Working, Girlfriend!
Although it might seem counter intuitive — and it’s certainly not what most people will advise — work is beneficial to your well-being, particularly if you have a chronic illness.
Consider this:
1. According to the National Organization on Disability,
“Only 32% of Americans with disabilities [not just AD diseases] aged 18 to 64 are working. But two-thirds of those unemployed would rather be working “.
2. A recent United Kingdom study (“Is Work Good for Your Health and Well-Being?”) found that men and women who work have health-related advantages over those who do not. “When their health conditions permit, sick and disabled people (particularly those with ‘common health problems’) could be encouraged and supported to remain in or to (re)-enter work as soon as possible because it:”
• Is therapeutic
• Helps to promote recovery and rehabilitation
• Leads to better health outcomes
• Minimizes the harmful physical, mental, and social effects of long-term sickness absence
• Reduces poverty
• Improves quality of life and well-being
3. Another study, “The Influence of Resources on Perceived Functional Limitations among Women with Multiple Sclerosis” found that women with MS have a better perception of themselves and their limitations when they continue to work. Leaving the workforce because she thinks she can no longer do a job increases already lowered self-esteem.
It’s not hard to imagine that, if a person believes she is can’t do certain things, she is less likely to push herself to maintain social networks and physical health. Without a reason to leave the house for work everyday, it’s easy to become increasingly isolated and feel less than normal.
4. “The Quest for Ordinariness: Transition Experienced by Midlife Women Living with Chronic Illness”, found that with diagnosis and onset, there is an “extraordinary phase of turmoil and distress,” followed by an “ordinary phase” that centers on developing the capacity to live with chronic illness.
The researchers asked, “What is the meaning of living with chronic illness for midlife women?” They concluded, “Striving for ordinariness helped women to regain a sense of balance and control over their lives.”
Therefore, as a woman’s relationship to illness shifts from extraordinary to the ordinary phase, she looks for ways to be like everyone else (and what she was). A career can be a relatively easy path.
No doubt, there are exceptions. Women with chronic illness who have made the choice not to work and doing just fine. But they’re a minority.My own experience and the stories I’ve heard from other leads me to believe that workplace success, in the face of illness, is transforming. It gives you the power and confidence to face other challenges,both the large and small.All this and a lot more in the book. Be an early-adopter! Pre-order now!
On another note: My apologies for the “greek” text that went out in the last post. It wasn’t a virus (as one person asked) - just a mistake on my part in putting in text. You can read the “corrected” version online .
Rosalind
Also - work is the best distraction there is from illness. When I was in the thick of dealing with a chronic pain condition, I was also writing a book with a colleague. My commitment to that concrete project with clear deliverables helped me rise above the fear of the unknown that surrounded my illness.
AGREED! I’m recovering from a bunionectomy right now and when I’m working I forget about the pain and discomfort - and I transform from feeling like a dis abled and old (hobbling) woman. HOORAY for work — which is why we have to do what we can do to make it a positive, rather than a negative, experience. Thanks Barbara.
Rosalind