4 tips on returning to work with facial palsy.

Returning to work was really daunting for me. As a Video Editor, I spend 8 hours a day focusing on a computer screen, so I had no idea how I was going to cope now I had an eye that couldn’t close - still being patched up - and after spending the previous seven weeks in bed meaning my energy levels were rock bottom.

Personally I have been so fortunate to work for a company that allowed me to have the adequate time off in order to recover, they continue to monitor my recovery and allowed me to return on reduced hours so I could build myself back up to full capacity. This did make my return much easier than I thought it would be, but it came with it’s challenges that I’m still facing about 10 months on.

So I wanted to share a few of my tips I learnt to help you overcome any anxiety or worry you may have about yours, whilst still focusing on your facial palsy recovery.

1 - take your time.

Before I got sick I’d got myself to a really good place in my job. I was a person that could load the work on, I’d fly through all my tasks and did a good job with them too. I worried so much about not getting back to what I was capable of, I knew I wanted to be that person again but it would take time, and it meant I had to pace myself and listen to what my body and mind needed to make sure I didn’t run myself into the ground, trying to do it all.

The first day I started back I only managed to work for half an hour. It felt like the biggest achievement at the time, but it also reminded me how much I’d gone through in the past 7 weeks. I wasn’t able to simply turn on my machine and work a solid 8 hours again for a very long time and I had to accept that. I also had to make sure other people accepted that. It’s completely okay to remind people of your situation, sometimes they're too busy to remember what you’re dealing with so do not be afraid to give them a gentle reminder. I had to do this a few times but without it people would’ve kept piling on the work and I would’ve found myself getting overwhelmed and incapable of doing anything.

You also need to know when you’ve had enough for one day, don’t be afraid to talk to your boss if you're finding it hard to keep working. They would rather you be honest and know that work will still be done by someone else, then have you struggle and miss a deadline. What I’ve learnt is that your boss or line manager wants your honesty about how you’re coping, so if you find one day that you can’t do as much as you thought you could, let them know, let them give that work to someone else for that day and take care of yourself. I was able to do all of this for a few months as long as I needed, and over time I went from doing a few hours during the day, then two days in a row and so on, to now being able to work my full 8 hours, five days a week, but it happened over time, remember to listen to what you need.

2 - your environment matters.

This may be difficult for different people as not everyone works in an office or premises where this is as simple, but making sure you’re in a safe environment for you is a big part of coming back to work. Luckily I was able to return whilst still working from home due to coronavirus restrictions, it worked well for me as I could nap when I felt too tired or take regular breaks away from my screen to rest my eye. I had months before I had to return to the office so it gave me the confidence that I could now do my job again before having to worry about commuting or sitting at a desk all under some very harsh lighting.

Over the past few months I have started to return to the office two days a week, but I was so surprised by how a different environment actually affected me compared to my time at home. My eye gets so tired I'm when in the office, it feels as though I’ve been staring at a screen for 20 hours on end, I have to actively squeeze my eyes shut to keep it from drying out or feeling too strained. However I’ve been able to share this with my boss and he allows me to be more flexible with my hours in the office to make sure I am comfortable at all times.

I read on the Facial Palsy UK website (link below) that if you are left with long term affects of facial palsy:

“The Equality Act 2010 protects employees from discrimination, harassment and victimisation, because of disability. An employer must make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to ensure that workplace requirements or practices do not disadvantage employees or potential employees with a disability. Adjustments have to be reasonable, and need not be excessive.”

So with this in mind, I have had discussions with my manager to make sure my working environment is suitable depending on my recovery at that time, meaning some days it’s easier for me to remain at home, maybe only do one day in the office, or simply head in as normal. Again it’s all about recognising your personal recovery journey and what you need in that moment, so don’t be afraid to discuss your concerns and see what your employers can do for you to make sure your return is as stress free as possible.

3 - set your own boundaries.

Setting your own boundaries lets you stay more in control whilst you recover. Facial Palsy recovery can be much slower and not as straightforward as you first think, so you can tell someone if there’s too much on your plate, if you need additional support, giving yourself an easier day can make a huge difference. I have also become much more stringent with my time, before I could work all day, run my Etsy shop in the evenings AND work on freelance jobs over weekends, now I know that wouldn’t do me any good, so I learnt to say no to additional work and ease the demand of my Etsy shop to give myself more time to rest after a long day or week. Setting these boundaries for myself has kept my stress levels lower and given me time to do my facial physio, cook a nutritious meal, fit in a workout or simply slob out in front of the tv. Learning that it’s okay to say no is so powerful, you can never do enough to aid your recovery so allow yourself the time to do it, you’ll thank yourself in the end.

4 - your mental health

A lot of people don’t realise how much your mental health is affected by facial palsy, so it’s important for you to recognise times when that needs to be your priority. It’s important to know that the emotional distress of facial palsy has nothing to do with vanity, it’s mainly about loss of your identity and the frustration of not being in control of your facial muscles, how you speak and eat, how you smile.

Since I’ve been returning to the office I’ve noticed how much more conscious I’ve been of my face, I cover my mouth when I eat or laugh to make sure no one looks at it, I hide in the bathroom with my eyes shut to give the muscles a chance to relax without being surrounded by people and looking weird or like I’m slacking. It’s so much easier for me to shut myself away at home and work there to avoid all of this embarrassment, but in turn I end up feeling much more depressed as I never get to go out and socialise.

In this situation the best thing you can do once again is be vocal and honest about how you’re feeling, I have regular updates with someone in HR who monitors my progress and listens to my concerns, you’d be surprised just how many people understand what you’re dealing with once you explain it to them, once they know what’s going on they’re in a much better position to help. Please don’t ever suffer in silence, this whole thing is much easier to deal with when you have people around you who want to listen, help and understand.

I hope a few of these tips can help you with your return to work. Remember it’s personal to you, listen to what you need and be honest about it with your employer. They are able to help more in more ways than you think, so make sure you’re getting the most out of it to support your return to work and a more normal way of living.

Below is the link to the Facial Palsy UK website which has more information, support and advice on returning to work:

https://www.facialpalsy.org.uk/support/work/employees-guide-to-facial-palsy-and-the-workplace/