Giving Yourself Permission: Ideas to Beat the Boredom of Post-Surgery

Healing When You Want to Rush Back to Work

If you have the paid time off for medical leave, take it!! Use as much as you see fit. Especially if you are healing from a surgery.

At the time of my surgery two years ago, my employer offered up to 6 weeks paid time off for medical leave. And although I only needed half of that time to recover from my surgery, I took all 6 weeks — and quite honestly, I could have used even more. The physical recovery is a daunting process, but what I did not take into account was my need for emotional recovery — which I am still working through 24 months after the hysterectomy.

We live in a captislitc society that deprioritizes basic human needs like rest, joy, and time to recover. No secret there. This is especially true for folx who work hourly wages, which more often than not tends to be women of color. This means that many women of color who need access to paid time off will not have it. Economic injustice happens when a persons basic needs (like housing, medical care, family supporting wages, the ability to rest) are denied based on a system that extracts our labor and gives little to nothing in return.

On the other hand, economic justice looks like everyone having access to all the things necessary to priortize time with family, rest, and overall wellbeing. Including an abundance of time off to heal. In a fair economic system, our work does not lead to or depend on our eventual burnout. Quite the opposite is true. In a fair, or fairer, economic system, workers have everything necessary to be supported in doing purposeful work and to take care of their spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing.

Until fair economic systems are created and become the norm, and healthcare is universal, we resist grind culture, martyrdom, and putting our wellness on the back burner as much as possible. One way we do this is by encouraging and supporting each other to take care of our individual and collective needs.

A former colleague of mine and I were chatting one day about their upcoming surgery. They were eager to take the least amount of time needed in order to rush back to work. Although this colleague was a salaried employee, they were concerned about boredom and the work piling up while not engaging in labor. That the work is more urgent then ourselves is one of the lies of grind culture. And I could relate to how they felt because I also have been socialized to believe my value is based on my productivity. Not to mention, I, too, worried initially about how I would spend my time healing.

So, I endeavored to write this list of other activities to do while faced with the mundaneness of healing from a surgery in the hopes of contributing to a model of rest and care for workers needing to take medical time off.

1. go lie down
2. go play a game that does not cause you to overextend yourself (cards, board games, etc.)
3. catch up with friends
4. take a nap
5. paint
6. try a new recipe
7. journal about your fears surrounding the surgery
8. journal about your gratitude surrounding the surgery
9. meditate
10. get a sound bath, or listen to meditative music
11. sleep
12. go for walks
13. binge watch your favorite shows
14. sit outside and let the sun shine on you
15. get some fresh air
16. do gentle yoga
17. write a personal essay
18. to the extent that you can, do the thing that you’ve been saying you would do if you weren’t so busy working
19. be still
20. grieve the reason for the surgery
21. grieve
22. celebrate being on the other side of the surgery
23. cuddle with your favorite person(s) or animal(s)
24. cuddle with a body pillow
25. sign up for a virtual therapy session
26. indulge in a self-care ritual of your choosing
27. grow an herb garden
28. make up your own list, or not, of things to do, or not to do, instead of rushing back to work

This list is by no means complete and should align with the directions from your medical care team. What would you add to it? If you yourself took medical paid leave for a past surgery, what were some things that kept you grounded, especially when the urgency of grind culture came calling?

Having paid time off is not a luxury, it is a necessity and we all need time to not rush our recovery after a surgery, illness, or simply a need for time off.

To those reading this, if you can take the time, then I lovingly encourage you to take it. To spend time in deep rest and healing, surrounded by people who love you and will nurture you during your recovery process is a gift. And, if you are blessed with such a community, let them spoil you, love you, cook for you, run errands for you, and drive you around as much as your recovery calls for it. To be clear, I am not suggesting that you take advantage of anyone, but do accept as much help as possible. I accepted lots of help, and also requested help when needed, which ultimately allowed me to rest more and focus on my full recovery.

Here’s to your wellbeing, recovery, and rest.