You have a very important project at work this week, and the deadline is near. You work overtime, you hardly sleep anymore, and to top it off, before you are given this task, you are sick like a dog.

It’s a nightmare scenario, but you’ve surely already lived once in your life. You are too sick to work, but still caught up in an important project that cannot be overlooked. So what can you do?

If you need to stay productive while being contaminated by a cold or a flu, here are some tips that may help you get better, while helping you face the colossal workload that awaits you.

Take a day off

For many people who have big projects, this option is not necessarily something that is possible in the immediate future. That being so, you may be so sick that you do not have much choice.

As for example someone who is suffering from a migraine, he will learn that he cannot have the same ability to work when he has his head in the toilet. If you are really very sick, you need a day off, it’s inevitable. Not only will you be back at your normal level much earlier, but you will also avoid making stupid mistakes once at work, or in communication with your colleagues. It takes a lot of self-control to get some rest when you have a huge workload behind it, but it’s about the good behavior of your project and it will be an opportunity to learn more about yourself.

Provide remedies

Scarf, bowls of chicken soup and noodles, lots of clear liquids and lots of vitamins. Take home remedies for colds or flu (Echinacea for example) making sure that you are not allergic of course.

Do what it takes to get better. If you eat properly, as you drink a lot of fluids, you will be better equipped to continue working on important projects, especially those who are in a hurry, without having to go back on your previous version while you are sick. Be wary of certain drugs that may cause drowsiness.

You can also take hot showers, apply warm or cold compresses to your skin and face, drink plenty of hot teas, and sleep with an extra pillow to position your head so as to drain the sinuses better.

Work short but intense

This will take you more time to get the 8 hours of daily work, but by working intermittently with frequent breaks, you can maintain constant energy levels, and make sure you stay focused on the task at hand. When one is in a bad state, the concentration decreases more rapidly than in a so-called “normal” state.

This could be the right time to experiment with the Pomodoro technique , a time management technique where you work in very short periods of time and where you take regular breaks. You work for 25 minutes, then you take a 5-minute break, and when you feel under your usual possibilities, it gives you a well-deserved rest, with the sense of accomplishment as a bonus.

Isolate from your colleagues

If you have to work, you should work at home, or some other way whatsoever, that isolates you from your colleagues. This way, if you work on the same project with them, you will paralyze your team by spreading your disease. This can also be beneficial to them because if your productivity is not at the top.

Look to the Future

Alex Fayle of the Someday Syndrome blog explained that when he was too sick to work, he managed to remain productive by changing the direction of his work. Rather than working on urgent projects on which he might make mistakes, he instead focuses on long-term planning and reflection on his career goals.

“I could have been grumpy. I could have pushed myself and made some shit. “Either I could take a break and leave everything that bothered me in stand-by. My lazy trends succeeded in convincing him of the last option, but I was not totally unproductive. I also took the time to imagine a series of visions for my future – not the kind of outcome in the future, but results based on actions. So I looked at 6 months, 1 year, 3 years and 5 years in the future and I decided what I would be doing … People who have images of their actions in the future rather than results are more likely to achieve their goals. ”

And you, you have tips to stay productive when you suffer from a cold or flu? Please let us know!