In a recent meeting, I was encouraged, as I'm sure many others were, by a very simple, poignant observation.
We often wish away the ordinary days -- we pine to be on vacation, experiencing something exciting or adventurous, but when something happens to us or one of our loved ones, someone gets sick or injured, the one thing that we all long for are the ordinary days. We'd give nearly anything to have an ordinary day.
I've always believed that every day is a gift, and your health is a gift -- both of which we shouldn't take for granted. It's unrealistic to spend every minute of every day focusing on how lucky we are to be alive and well, but as soon as something impedes our health or normal lives, we realize how fortunate we were.
I believe this is the case for most of us. I also believe that is the case for most injured workers and employers of injured workers -- we all want the same thing. We want to get back to the way things were. We want things to be "normal" again. Yesterday (Tuesday after Labor Day) was probably tough for most people -- getting back to work after a long weekend can be challenging. Many people probably thought, why can't I win the lottery and get to stay home forever?!
Work plays such an important role in our lives -- how we define ourselves, it is from what we derive our value, it shows what we can contribute to the world. Think about the last time you met someone new. After introducing yourself, the next thing you probably moved on to discuss was where you worked or what you did for a living.
Our job as workers' compensation professionals is to do what we can to restore injured workers to wellness. To provide the appropriate medical treatment, guidance, and assistance to help achieve that sense of normalcy. While it is true that not everyone will return to that old "normal," getting back to a state of wellness and productivity is our aim.
We are creatures of habit. We crave consistency. We like routine and predictability. Any disruption can cause us a great deal of strain and stress. Think about the last unanticipated road construction detour you were faced with on your way to an appointment?
Think about your morning routine. You wake up, maybe you stop at the usual place to grab your coffee on your way to work, exchange some daily banter with the cashier, and continue on your way to work. The average person spends 90,000 hours at work during their lifetime. That's over 10 years, 24 hours per day.
Sure we all have our days we wish we'd win the lottery -- some more than others. Those things that we'd rather be doing than working are probably also the same reasons we go to work. There are probably aspects of everyone's job that would rather not have to do-- but that's why it's called work, right?
When the ability to participate in work every day is taken from someone due to an injury or illness I'm confident in saying that what that person would like most is an ordinary day at work. Employers have an opportunity to give the gift of ordinary days.
