All of my work interactions are virtual at the moment, as I am sure many of yours are too. In this format I think it is even more difficult to be aware of an #InvisibleIllness or #InvisibleDisability so for #MEAwarenessHour I'd like to ask you to keep this in mind.
It will be harder for you to see if someone is facing challenges so it's perhaps even more important than ever to be kind & considerate in all of your online work interactions.
It's easy to be dismissive, to compare someone else's situation to your own, or to persuade yourself that perhaps your colleague's slow progess is because of a lack of effort. It's important to have empathy & not to judge.
I remember a time at a conference when I was with a colleague and they saw, for the first time, how diffictit was for me to climb a flight of stairs. Rather than feeling embarrassed, I was hugely relieved that my illness was no longer invisible to my colleague.
They saw firsthand the challenges I can face on a daily basis. Until then, I was sure that all of my colleagues thought I was simply lazy! That colleague became a crucial ally & friend.
Without the availability of these cues for my current colleagues, my fear is again that I am seen as lazy. I can connect relatively easily to online meetings or conferences & participate so to all I must seem fine & well. Yet they see me missing deadlines & falling behind.
So, again, please be kind and considerate. Your colleagues could be dealing with something you cannot see. #MEAwarenessHour
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