I’ve been home sick since Friday last week, not being able to speak due to throat issues, with a dash of fever and a spot of mucous to go with that. The week before that started with me getting back from another stint of some sort of hyper flu, hyper being a time element in this case. It would seem I got back to work too early, pushing myself too hard, since I got sick again so quickly. I usually don’t get sick.

Despite not usually being susceptible to whatever flu that’s bothering Stockholm at the moment, I’m not of the habit of working myself towards illness. I did in the past, to an excessive degree one might say, and learned my lesson. Still, there are times when taking it easy is hard.

Let me rephrase that: Taking it easy is always hard, but sometimes it is really hard.

For instance, last week I worked too hard, in hindsight, since I got sick again. I knew I was pushing it, but two big clients needed my attention, as well as a publisher deadline to top that off. That made it hard to take it easy, and now I’m paying the price.

Being home sick doesn’t make it any easier to take it easy. The illness itself might, but as soon as I start to feel a little bit better my mind will start racing and I’ll end up jotting down ideas, doing research, and fantasize about opening up the computer. It is the same as when you push yourself the first day back at work from being ill, you want to do all the things you normally do – and more! – because being home sick is rarely stimulating and you’re craving to do something rewarding.

In the end you are better of taking it easy. You’ll minimize the risk of a backlash, and have some energy left for the rest of the day. That energy is essential, because you’ll need it to focus on taking it easy.

That’s the hard part, after all.