I was sick with Covid for a week. Here is what I learned.
A lot has happened the past month, so I want to star by thanking you for still being here reading me and my shenanigans. But the most important issue was that after almost 2 years of trying to be as careful as possible, getting 3 vaccine shots and not leaving the house for (almost) just the essentials, my wife, my baby boy and I got sick with the Covid virus. I’m telling you this not to worry you all but to share my experience and hopefully learning towards the future, specially if you are a freelance illustrator like myself.
Let me put you in context: We are just about to switch from having a nanny in our house, to a daycare, so we needed to fill up many forms and paperwork. We had to present this info by certain date and if we fail to do so, we could lose Oliver’s spot in this daycare. We find that we have covid the week before that deadline. My wife had put a lot of time and effort into making this happen so losing this was not an option. I was the first to be put down to bed by this bug. So I was out of combat for 2 days straight. I could not help even if I wanted to.
This is where I took note of several important pilars you might want to consider if this ever happens to you.
1.Develop a Family/ Friends Support system
It’s no secret that you cannot achieve big things just by yourself. You need help. Nothing is more true than when you are in quarantine. Shout out to my friends and family, the support that they gave me and my wife was everything. My brother helped us delivering the the paperwork, while my mother in law and my mom hooked us with dinner for a couple of days. You need your fam to be there for you in the time of need. And it doesn’t have to be blood relatives, remember that family can be the friends that got your back. So, you best start having people’s back first. Be that person first.
2. Plan for sick days
For the longest time I knew that there might be a time where I might get sick for one day or two. I never imagined it to be 8 to 10 days. So, in your yearly calendar, plan for this contingency knowing that you will not be able to work and therefore will not get payed. Kinda like a vacation, only to regain your health and rest your body. Save up money for this too. Medicines and tests are expenses that you will have to incur wether you want it or not.
3. Inform your audience, don’t leave then hanging.
In these days, we all know that social media is part of our personal brand and it is likely that you have a certain number of people following you or your work. If you have weekly or daily commitments to your audience, inform them of the situation, it’s likely that they will understand that you are going through a difficult time. But if you don’t tell them what happened, they might feel alienated. They are your community, just as you are part of my circle, and you are important to me.
4. Inform your clients
Last but not least, let your clients know as soon as you can. If you suddenly drop off the face of the internet and you were working important projects, it is not professional to just cut communication. You need to inform the situation and let them know that you need this time to heal and get well. If anything talk to them and if something needs to be done, re direct them to a colleague that might help you out while you regain your health.
5. Enjoy the little things in life
You know how you always say “I love being alive” or “I could die any moment so I must enjoy every moment of my life”? Well guess what? It might sound ironic but when you are sick, those thoughts get even stronger! Every breath becomes precious and every moment matters! You learn not to waste time on petty things such as arguing over stupid things on social media or watching reality shows when these moments could
That is it for now. If I think of more lessons I will make sure to share them with you.
Have you had any similar situations? What lessons can you share with us?
Never give up, never surrender.