Health problems are something that unless you’ve had them, you wouldn’t think twice about. The truth is that most people live with the mindset of ‘it won’t happen to me, it only happens to others’, but the fact is that isn’t the case. Anything can happen at any time, and as scary as that may be to comprehend, it’s essential that we do so because if we fail to realize that we aren’t invincible, it can have a huge impact on our health.

This is why taking steps like taking out health insurance is so important, in case the worst should happen, and you become unable to work. Or, unable to work in the same role, or in the same way as before. If you’ve got adequate health insurance in place that covers loss of earnings, should you become unwell then you should be set financially. Of course, that doesn’t change the fact that having health problems could impact your career and slow your progress up the ladder, or halt it altogether. At least it would offer a buffer though, that would help to limit the damage done by you becoming unwell.

A lot of people aren’t aware of how health problems impact careers, so below is a guide to how health problems can impact your career and future, as well as some useful tips and advice to take note of.

Inability to Work to Your Normal Standards

One of the most common issues linked to health problems is the inability to work to your normal standards. Whether the health problem that you are suffering from is physical or mental, this can have a huge impact on how you work. Often, when it comes to a health issue impacting your work, pain caused by physical problems can be seriously detrimental. However, often this pain is only temporary. Whereas, mental health problems can lead to a more permanent impact on your ability to work effectively, as they are more of a long-term issue.

Unless you have a mental health problem, you don’t realise how serious they can be and how widespread the impact of them can be. Living with mental health issues can be incredibly difficult, especially as they can hugely impact your quality of life and ability to concentrate effectively. This can hamper your productivity and lead to problems staying on track at work, which can then cause issues with your employer. Anxiety, for instance, is deliberating and can make focusing on a task almost impossible.

Of course, while mental health problems can be debilitating, physical health problems can be just as challenging to work around. When you’re in serious pain, it can be impossible to work like you normally would or to work at all for that matter. Then there’s the concern that even once you’ve healed, you may never get back to being your former self. Take a leg injury, for instance, the injury itself might heal, but that may not stop it from causing long-term leg pain near the site of the injury. In a job where you’re on your feet a lot, this can have a serious impact.

Time Out for Healing

Whether you suffer a physical or emotional health problem, often it leads to time out for healing. There’s a common misconception that healing for a mental health problem is quicker and easier than healing from a physical problem, but that isn’t always the case. Sometimes, healing from a mental health problem can be far longer than healing from a physical one, and much more complicated as well. Just as much medical support and guidance can be needed to achieve this, both in the short-term and the long-term.

If someone else is to blame for a health problem that you have, that’s lead to serious issues and has meant that you’ve had to take time out of work and lose money, you may be able to make a claim. When it comes to personal injury claims, there are some fantastic lawyers available, who can ensure that you get what you’re owed. Say, for instance, you were hit by a drunk driver, or you had an accident at work because your employer failed to take health and safety seriously, then you could have a case for compensation.

The fact is that the time that you take out for healing can wreak havoc on your career in the long-term in addition to the short-term. It’s never ideal taking an extended period of time out of work, as doing so can set your career progress back and can mean that you miss opportunities to move up the ladder.

Financial Loss

Of course, one of the most concerning issues that comes with having health problems, whether it’s a serious accident that’s meant you have to take time out of work or a medical condition that requires treatment, the financial loss can be devastating. When you rely on your monthly income to get by, being out of work can be a complete nightmare. Which is why the financial loss that comes from being out of work can be such a nightmare, as it’s never easy living off of a reduced income, particularly when you’re used to living off of a larger one.

Of course, most employers by law have to offer sick pay. However, this amount is never large and is usually half of what you would normally earn in a month. If your employer doesn’t offer sick pay, you may be able to claim sick pay from the government, depending on your personal situation. However, again this tends to be a lower amount than what you are used to living off.

The fact is that while we never think we will fall foul to health problems, we are all at risk. You never know when your mental health could break down or when you could be injured of catch a serious disease. That’s why it’s so important to be prepared. Steps that you can take to do that include taking out adequate health insurance including mental health problems and putting away a small amount of money each month, to ensure that should you end up being out of work due to illness, the effects aren’t as detrimental as they could be.