Benefits of Entrepreneurship for the Chronic Condition Patient
Entrepreneurship can be hard and having chronic conditions is definitely hard. Yet, there are benefits when these two are paired together.
Those managing chronic illness already have some of the traits highly sought after by those wanting to become entrepreneurs. When a chronic disease patient embraces these traits and their condition as an entrepreneur, the benefits take on a whole new perspective!
As a patient with chronic illnesses, we must learn to adapt, be resilient, open to learning and growth, determined, clear priorities, perseverance, and grit. These traits are some of the most important for entrepreneurs to possess to be successful also.
So, now you’re intrigued. What if you paired these traits, conditions, and determination together and decided to be the powerhouse of specialness God created you to be? Chase after your dreams, embrace a new reality, and create a life designed around your medical needs and fierce determination?
What could come of it? How could it help you? What’s the benefits?
9 Benefits to Enjoy as an Entrepreneur Despite Chronic Illness
- A flexible schedule
- Work environment
- Creating a career that aligns with your values
- Increase Self-Confidence and Feeling of Self-Worth
- Choosing who you work with or to work alone
- Networking with like-minded people
- Constant growth and self-development
- You get to see first hand your work being a positive impact on others lives
- Independence or self-sufficiency
1. A Flexible Schedule
When you’re fighting chronic conditions, the need for a flexible work schedule is a must. Not knowing what symptoms you’ll face from day-to-day can be draining and cause anxiety to build.
Having the ability to fight migraines from your bed instead of behind a desk, or working in the afternoons because arthritis was too painful that morning allows us to still perform our God-given gifts, talents, and abilities while doing what a ‘normal job’ couldn’t; flexibility in our schedule around our health needs.
2. Self- Determined Work Environment
Very similar to the flexible schedule above, our bodies and minds need flexibility in our environment.
With Lupus, some days I’m comfortable for hours (with breaks) at my desk, other days I work with my legs elevated in a chair or even from bed. When my mood needs a boost or I’m craving fresh air, I grab my laptop and work from my front porch or a lawn chair in the shade.
I’m still able to work and be productive but I’m also able to accommodate myself for the pain, stiffness, mental health needs, etc. that comes along with chronic illness.
3. Creating a Career that Aligns with Your Values
This is a given. This benefit is for any entrepreneur! But this comes with a whole new perspective for those with chronic illness though!
Think about it.
At your ‘normal job’ or ‘corporate career’ have you ever seen or had to do some gray area stuff in your morals, spiritual views, etc. for the sake of ‘it’s my job’ or ‘they told me to and I can’t afford to lose this income’ or ‘It’s not that bad. It’s not worth a fight or confrontation’ ?
This stress can cause a negative impact on anyone’s health. For someone with chronic conditions, it could mean a flare in symptoms and even further reduced health status. Everything from increased pain, migraines, and inflammation of the chest cavity causing chest pains, trouble breathing, etc….speaking from experience on this one. It’s not worth your health.
Being an entrepreneur allows us to keep our values and career in line, complimenting each other and ultimately furthering our progress.
Passion flows with this clean conscious, happy vibes, and knowing you’re working for things you believe in!
4. Increase Self-Confidence and Feeling of Self-Worth
A boost in self-confidence can be experienced by anyone who takes an idea from ideation all the way through to completion and sees the impact and results they were able to create. It’s a new perspective for a chronically ill entrepreneur.
When chronic illness hits, the feelings of hopelessness, out-of-control, unworthiness, confusion, being a burden, and self-doubt can come flooding in. A person once confident in what they wanted in life and how they were going to get there suddenly has to rethink the way to get to the bathroom in the middle of the night or a simple task of cooking supper that now is daunting.
Embracing entrepreneurship gives you a chance to see things through again in your own time and ability. It gives a sense of pride, self-worth, and hope for better things.
Feelings of not being a burden, capable, and worthy again are so important for mental health!
5. Choosing Who You Work With or to Work Alone
This should be enough said lol. Stressful coworkers, micromanaging bosses, deceitful corporate shenanigans….it’s your choice to deal with it or boot it out. Not saying all jobs or work places are this way, but we’ve all experienced our fair share I think.
This is important though, if you work better in teams, now you get to choose who your tribe is!
If you work better alone, you can do so and just choose to have a couple close associates that you plug into when you need a refresh or second set of eyes!
6. Networking with like-minded people
There are a ton of other entrepreneurs out there, many of which are either battling chronic illness themselves or very close to someone who is. It’s such a great atmosphere to be around!
‘Collaboration Instead of Competition’ tends to be the resounding words of this tribe of people.
As an entrepreneur, it’s very beneficial to network with like-minded people. As a chronically ill entrepreneur you’ll find those willing to help you through where they’ve been, how they balanced growing a business and their chronic illness, and encourage you to do the same (much like this website is devoted to doing!)
Being around those headed in the same direction, though on a different path, can light your fire, introduce new ideas or breakthroughs you’ve needed and ultimately help you passionately pursue your goals and dreams. They’re all rooting you on too! We also refer to others we know instead of big businesses and believe in reciprocation of kindness.
7. Constant Growth and Self-Development
If you’re not moving forward, you’re moving backward. The world is ever changing and at a rapid pace these days. Every entrepreneur benefits from constantly growing and self-development, but the chronically ill entrepreneurs need this more than they know!
We tend to fight becoming stagnant. Not in a bad way, in a lost, confused, tired and hurting way.
Entrepreneurship requires you to face things in front of you, we can’t be complacent, procrastinate, or lazy. We must take action instead of sulking or having pity parties.
Yes, there’s a time for self-care, but there’s also a time for action.
Seeking out entrepreneurship as a chronic condition patient will require research, learning, adapting, failing, repeating, reading, listening, experimenting, and ultimately growing.
8. You Get to See First-Hand Your Work Being a Positive Impact on Others Lives
THIS! You’ve had great ideas, skills, knowledge, and abilities just welling up inside of you, but you feel like you’ve been held back by either your employer, coworkers, self, disease or a combination.
Entrepreneurship allows you to see your work through, adapting along the way, to create a positive impact on others. Truly helping others in some way, it’s an awesome dose of medicine when dealing with chronic illness.
9. Independence or Self-Sufficiency
This is a no-brainer. Being your own boss is probably one of the top reasons people choose to chase entrepreneurship. But let’s look from a different perspective. One with chronic conditions attached.
Having the independence to know that your success is determined on your work ethic and not how much the hiring manager likes you or how much ‘benefit’ you provide is a blessing.
Missing days of work, hospital stays, surgeries, doctors appointments, and so much more that comes with a chronic condition, though it’s not supposed to be discriminated against, can detour your success in a profession. Because we may not be the most ‘reliable’ in that particular profession in a particular work environment it leaves us worried about lost opportunities of advancement, time off for actual vacations, and even fear of losing our job.
The fear of job loss comes with loss of medical insurance, paid sick time, vacation time (we use a lot for sick time), retirement, and disability insurances we pay into at a high amount because we know the odds of being able to work until retirement age is slim.
This is a security blanket honestly. In entrepreneurship we’re liberated to save funds for these needs where we want to, take time off when we need to, promote ourselves in our own business, and ultimately depend on our own work ethic to bring our dreams to fruition.
If we’re able to work in conditions optimal for our conditions, we theoretically should be able to work longer. If we put into place ways to scale our business, duplicate or create passive income, we can over time reduce our work-load without losing our income.
Is entrepreneurship hard? Yes.
Is chronic illness hard? Absolutely.
But when strategically paired together, a chronic condition patient can thrive in entrepreneurship with a lot more than just these 9 benefits!