You wake up feeling under the weather — a little achy, sore throat, stuffy, even a fever — the usual flu-like symptoms.  Question: do you go back under the covers or drag yourself into the office?  Public health officials are betting you’ll do the latter, thereby putting yourself and — more importantly for them — your coworkers, neighbors, even the entire country at risk, as we approach swine flu season. Yes, it’s coming and it’s got us wondering, ‘why can’t Americans stay home when they are sick?’ ...(continue reading).

Yes, there’s an economic reality here, things aren’t so good in the job market.  Perhaps you worry that if you miss several days at work you won’t have a job anymore.  Maybe your company doesn’t even give you any sick time — one study found that almost half of full-time workers in the United States do not have this “benefit.”  But even those of us who do have paid sick leave, don’t use it.  Any of it according to that study, which was conducted before the economic downturn.  So what’s going on?

It’s not news that Americans don’t take vacations.  Even though we want the time off in theory — we will trade salary for extra vacation days — in reality the days pile up unused.  We have a problem staying away from the office, even when we are not physically there.  Thanks to technology, we can now be in touch 24-7 worldwide.  It’s getting harder and harder to separate our work and personal lives.  More and more, work has become our personal life.  There’s much being written lately about how we are “overidentified” with our work selves.  If we don’t work, what are we?  How will we answer that question, often the first posed to us in social situations, “what do you do?”  For many of use we hear that question as “what are you worth?”

And herein lies the problem.  Too many of us define ourselves, find our identity and meaning primarily from our jobs.  For some of us, the office is the center of our social world as well.  And while employees who are personally engaged and feel like they have a “best friend” at work are more satisfied and productive on the job, having more balance between work and home life is necessary to optimize both our physical and mental health, as well as our work performance.

Start by asking yourself why you are working so hard, what’s driving you to the office even when you are sick?  Is it purely about the money, the need for more consumerism?  Are you seeking praise, from either authority figures or recognition from your peers?  Is it about needing to have a purpose in life and the office is the only place you have that right now?  What was it like growing up in your home?  How were work and downtime perceived and managed?  Many of us develop our work ethic, our work selves, either to emulate our parents or in direct opposition to how they did it.   Take a good look at what you value in yourself and others.  Are these core beliefs, such as integrity, honesty, generosity; or more external, transient traits, like status, money, materialism?

So, will you be going to work or not?  Some self examination could help you answer this question.  But try not to do so when you’re sick.  Give your mind a rest.  Come on, you can do it!