Why do I feel guilty when I’m sick?

I’ve been home these last two days with a bad cold. Now in the past I would have ‘soldiered on’ and spread my germs across the widest possible audience at work. But this time, maybe because I’m feeling a bit jaded about work, I decided to take the sick days (God knows I’ve got plenty accumulated) and not inflict my misery on other people’s Easter Weekend.

So why do I feel guilty?

I’ve done more housework in the last two days than in the last month! How dumb is that? I’ve just finished cleaning the shower (one of my pet hates) and sweeping and washing the floors in the whole house, except the bedrooms. This is, of course, excellent therapy when you’re feeling sick…not! I’m now completely wrecked; sitting here with a cup of restorative tea, a giant box of tissues and a bewildered look on my face.

If I was bed-ridden or constantly throwing up or something like that I probably wouldn’t feel this guilt about not being at work. But a cold seems so weak. And I won’t dress it up by calling it the flu. It’s just a cold. I need to work on this.

But my house is grateful.