What to do when you become ill
Advice from our FFJ community
This week Lily Canter writes from her onesie on the sofa about what to do as a freelancer when you become ill.
I am writing this as I suffer through my second bout of COVID-19. The first round, which hit me in early summer, was relatively mild by comparison and I was back up and running (literally) within a week.
But this time is different. It started with me being violently sick seven days ago and for the past week I have alternated between heavy sneezing sessions, hacking coughing sessions and ‘oh god I feel like I’m going to throw up’ sessions, as metallic stomach bile has risen up through my throat.
And yet, I have carried on working. Yesterday, when I felt my absolute worst and my COVID test finally said ‘positive’, I retreated to the sofa with a blanket and my laptop and worked at half speed. When my youngest son came home from school we binge watched Disney films for three hours and I replaced cooking a healthy tea with shoving fish and chips in the oven. But that’s been about it when it’s come to time off.
To be honest the thought of watching TV all day has not appealed and work has been a good distraction. I am not doing exercise which means my body is resting (I usually run six times a week plus daily dog walking) so I don’t think working has done me any harm. But I have had to say no to my first press trip in years and I have forewarned editors that copy may be late.
If I feel any worse next week then I will push deadlines back further and rearrange some talks I’ve agreed to do.
All of this has been my choice and I am in no way advocating taking my approach. I enjoy working and stopping can sometimes feel like a boring punishment, so I don’t. For me it is more important that I stop physical activity when I need to rest and recover, but I carry on with mental work, albeit at a slower pace.
Rather than insisting that you must power through or you must stop completely I think it all depends on the individual and the particular circumstances. But if you do need to stop then don’t be afraid to tell editors you need an extension and explain the circumstances. I have never had anything but sympathy and understanding when I have done this and it’s never damaged ongoing relationships.
Like everything with freelancing there is no one size fits all solution but here are the thoughts of other freelance journalists from our Facebook community.
“If I’m too unwell to work I don’t work - but it’s taken me a long time to feel confident in that and to have relationships where I can push back things.
“If it’s a minor thing, I’ll just modify my day - shorter day, perhaps a nap or a lie-in etc. to allow me to get a bit done and feel good but do pare it back.”
“If it’s an editor I know well and it’s not time specific, I would ask for an extension. I try to avoid it unless it is really urgent though. The key thing is to let them know as soon as possible.”
“Guess it very much depends on what it is/the deadline. I might not be feeling fully on point if I've a heavy cold and temperature for example, but if there's research I can do, or say invoices to send I might still do those.”
“90% of the time I just work through whatever sickness I’m dealing with physical or mental. I should add I have chronic conditions.
“If I’m really unable to I explain to editors that the work really wouldn’t be up to standard if I’m very unwell and ask for a short extension. If it’s something without a strict deadline I rest up and finish everything in bulk as soon as I feel able to.”
“I had glandular fever and just dosed up with painkillers and pushed on. I had just taken a few days off as holiday, plus it was the school holidays so I felt like I didn't have a choice as we had a lot of family stuff planned around my work hours. In retrospect I really should have rested because I felt shocking.”
In summary you have a few options and you will probably do all of these from time to time:
Rest completely and move deadlines back
Work at a slower pace and take more breaks / finish early
Switch to doing admin tasks that require less brain power
Continue working and reflect later on whether that was the right choice
Whatever you do it is a good idea to have some reserve cash to cover periods like this because you won’t be eligible for statutory sick pay. You might be able to claim for New Style Employment and Support Allowance depending on your National Insurance record so it’s worth looking into this if you have a prolonged illness.
And remember if you are not sure of the best approach, then ask your freelancing peers. We’ve all been there!
Work experience and mentoring
Places on our Journalism Work Experience and Mentorship Scheme are filling up fast. This will be the fifth time running the scheme and each round gets access to about 50 journalists or organisations willing to offer remote placements or mentorship. The length and type of placement varies and can often be negotiated and there is a wide range of skills and specialisms among those offering to share their experience.
To access the scheme you can be based anywhere, with any experience level. You might like to read a previous newsletter on a journalist and student who took part here or our newsletter from last week on how it led to a press trip to Spain. All you need to do is sign up to our webinar on the 27th October where you will be briefed on how the scheme works and how to approach the opportunities on offer. Tickets are £10 which covers the administration costs of running the scheme but there are also bursary places so do get in touch if you have any questions. If you can’t make the live briefing, don’t worry! Register for the scheme and we will send you a recording.
What else is new?
We have just revamped our four-week online course run in partnership with Journalism.co.uk. If you are new to freelance journalism or want to boost your success and want lots of feedback, support and guidance as you go, this may be just what you’re looking for. Kickstart your freelance journalism career is one of the most reasonably priced courses out there and previous attendees have achieved commissions on the back of pitches they worked with us on in the Guardian, Metro, Runners’ World and EuroNews to name but a few.
To find out more and grab your place for November, click the button below. We should stress this can all be done in your own time, assignments are voluntary and the course also now includes live Q&A sessions.
Upgrade for bonus content
For anyone who wants more support with their freelancing and access to extra resources, you may want to sign up to the premium version of this newsletter. For just £40 a year you get access to bonus podcasts, Ask Us Anything sessions and helpful resource lists. Any questions just shout at freelancingforjournalists@gmail.com
Triumph of the week
Getting a commission on the back of a light-hearted post on Twitter.
That feeling when
You’ve not had enough sleep and you have a mountain of interviews to write up. Lots of cups of tea needed!
We love to hear your feedback on everything we do, so feel free to drop us an email anytime at freelancingforjournalists@gmail.com
Bye for now!
