Protecting Your Energy at Work: A Guide for Disabled and Chronically Ill Professionals

6 Jun

We recently welcomed Saadiya Yusuf from Mind Vibe for a session on How to Protect Your Energy. Together, we explored how disabled people can better navigate working life, avoid burnout, and challenge internalised pressure to overperform or downplay our needs.

It’s our mission at SIC to close the disability employment gap, and a huge part of that is making the workplace work for you, so this felt like a really important topic.

Here are just a few of the highlights.

Why now? Why energy?

When we planned this session, Saadiya and I had a strong sense that the topic of energy was more relevant than ever. But by the time we delivered it, it felt urgent.

During the session, I shared why this feels so important right now: “We’re being impacted by welfare reforms, hostile media narratives, and wider societal challenges. That external pressure affects how we show up at work, and how safe or supported we feel when we do.”

For many of us, work can’t be separated from the rest of life. We bring our bodies, our stress, our hope and our limitations with us — and we deserve spaces that honour that.

Energy drainers: naming the culprits

Saadiya walked us through some common (and often invisible) energy drains that many of us experience daily. These include:

Navigating symptoms and medical admin
Dealing with shame, guilt or fear about disclosure
Coping with unclear workplace processes or inaccessible systems
Feeling the pressure to keep up with non-disabled colleagues
Managing internalised thoughts like “I just need to work harder”

When you’re disabled or chronically ill, even the basics — like keeping track of appointments or asking for support — can eat into your capacity. That’s why recognising these drains is the first step to managing them.

Self-advocacy: a lifeline, not a luxury

One of the most important things we talked about was how to advocate for your needs at work, especially when it feels difficult.

Line managers can be our best advocates, but they can also create barriers. That’s not always down to ill intent. Often, they just don’t know what’s possible.

In the session, I encouraged attendees to prepare for conversations by reflecting on a few key questions:

What do I want, and what do I need?
What am I unsure of?
What’s worked (or not worked) in the past?

These can be great conversation-starters:

“I’d value a chat about how to make my workload more sustainable.”
“I’ve identified a few changes that could support my focus — could we discuss?”
“Due to some recent changes, I’d like to talk about potential short-term adjustments.”

The reality is, you’re not asking for special treatment — you’re asking for what works. And that’s something we all deserve.

What adjustments actually look like

During the session, I shared some real-life examples of adjustments, both mine and Saadiya’s, that have made a big difference:

Saadiya’s adjustments included:

Reduced hours following hospital stays
Interview questions shared in advance
Extra time for tasks
A desk heater

Mine include:

Meeting agendas and clear email follow-ups
A 10–6 working day to avoid peak-time commuting (I’m clinically vulnerable)
Protected therapy time in my calendar
Grammarly Premium
A Remarkable digital notebook (life-changing for my ADHD brain)

Most of these changes cost very little — or nothing at all. I always remind employers that they’re often making similar adjustments for others already. It just looks different when the need is more visible.

Finding support in the workplace

Support isn’t just about your manager. In the session, I highlighted four key areas to look for backup:

Colleagues – the ones who quietly speak up in meetings or offer solidarity
Employee resource groups – especially useful in larger organisations
Line managers – if the relationship is solid, they can be a strong ally
Unions or trade bodies – many have specialist support for disabled members

What if your workplace isn’t supportive?

If your workplace lacks internal support, you’re not alone, and there are still plenty of places to turn:

SIC Learning Hub – full of free guides, blogs and tools
Social media – Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok have amazing communities
Friends and chosen family – don’t underestimate the power of a validating group chat
External coaching – like Saadiya’s, which focuses on mindset and sustainability
Access to Work – a government scheme that can fund practical support

A lot of what I’ve learned about navigating Access to Work has come from disabled creators online. There’s real power in community knowledge.

Internalised ableism: managing your inner voice

Saadiya gave us tools to challenge unhelpful thoughts with curiosity, not judgement. She encouraged us to ask:

Where is this thought coming from?
How long have I held it?
Is it helpful to me right now?

I related so much to this. There have been times when I thought I was just “bad at my job” or “lazy”, when really, I was overwhelmed and unsupported. Being able to step back and interrogate those beliefs has been transformative.

“In the courtroom of your mind,” Saadiya said, “you can either be the prosecutor — or the defence.”

Be your own defence.

Understanding and preventing burnout

Burnout can show up in so many ways: procrastination, anxiety, brain fog, irritability, or physical symptoms. And for many of us, it doesn’t come from “doing too much” — it comes from doing too much without support.

That’s why Saadiya recommends building a burnout toolkit. Hers includes:

Protected rest time in my calendar
A go-to list of creative or calming activities
Voice notes with friends
Scheduled movement (gentle, not punishing!)
Clear boundaries around when and how I work

Boundaries: what they really mean

Saadiya introduced us to the seven types of boundaries — a concept I’ve found incredibly useful:

Mental – your values and opinions
Emotional – how available you are to others
Material – what you give and share
Internal – energy spent on others vs yourself
Conversational – what you do/don’t want to discuss
Physical – your space and access
Time – protecting your hours and schedule

Boundaries don’t have to be loud or dramatic. They’re about sustainability — choosing what’s yours to carry, and what isn’t.

Redefining success

This was one of my favourite parts of the session. Saadiya talked about rethinking what success looks like, especially when the traditional markers (money, promotions, hours worked) feel unreachable or irrelevant.

What if success looked like:

Laughing more than you cry
Getting through a tough week with self-compassion
Building meaningful relationships
Saying “no” when you need to
Creating space for joy

“You are rich,” Saadiya said, “if you exist in plentiful quantities — of peace, purpose, or joy.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Final thoughts

You don’t have to earn your rest.

You don’t need to prove your worth through productivity before you take a breath.

You are allowed to do what works for you — unapologetically. Whether that means lying down, stimming, eating during a call, or asking for clarity via email — you’re allowed. And SIC is here to remind you that your energy is precious. Let’s protect it.