Living with chronic pain can be a nightmare. Waking every morning, only to find that, once again, your pain is right where you left it. It can be draining, not to mention despairing, to know that you live with chronic pain and that it will probably never go away, that pain management is your only option.
There are plenty of reasons that one might suffer from chronic pain. Aching in the joints caused by arthritis, back pain due to spine misalignment or curvature, or endometriosis are just some of the many reasons that people everywhere in the United States and the world spend each and every day managing their pain. For each of these conditions, there are a number of pain management options—physical therapy, medication, and more—but they can only go so far.
If you live with chronic pain, you probably already know that it has an impact on your career prospects. After all, you can’t exactly do work that means your need lots of fine motor skills if you have severe arthritis, and you can’t be on your feet all day as a project manager if you’ve got scoliosis or other spine issues. That being said, there are still plenty of career options that you have, and plenty of great places to work, even if you have to handle pain management on a daily basis. Keep reading to learn more about the options out there for great careers, as well as some resources for pain management and self-care to get you feeling your best.
Join the real estate game.
You may think that being a real estate agent or broker is all about driving around town and traipsing up and down the stairs of the homes you’re showing, but the truth is that there’s far more to it than that. Yes, some real estate agents spend their time chasing commissions up and down the freeway, but plenty of others work in management. For example, Venterra Realty manages a lot of apartment communities in the southern United States, and their team members help to make sure that their customer experience is top of the line.
In fact, Venterra is a good example of something else you’ll want to look for in a workplace—pursuit of excellence and a dedication to the core values of the company. Venterra Realty was named as one of the best workplaces in 2020, and that’s because they take employee experience very seriously. John Foresi, Venterra CEO is one of the top CEOs when incomes to a dedication to employee experience, as well as the quality of life of all residents at Venterra communities.
As someone who lives with chronic pain, you need to work for someone who, like John Foresi, understands how important it is to take care of his employees. Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when so many people who suffer from chronic pain are at higher risk than their counterparts, having a boss who understands makes a place like Venterra the best workplace for you.
Get trained as a diesel mechanic.
Automotive technology and diesel technology are both fields that can be great options for someone who manages pain every day. As an automotive mechanic or diesel technician, you’ll be able to work at your own pace and you’ll be able to work with a tight-knit group of team members who can support you if your pain signals become too much to bear.
Make sure to get technical training in fields like electrical systems, preventive maintenance, and other areas of diesel technology at a reputable educational institution. A really great Automotive and Diesel Technology program in the U.S. will offer a multidisciplinary approach and plenty of career opportunities after you’re done with your 60 credit certificate. As with the real estate game, make sure that you’re working at a great place, with professionals who care about the employee experience so that your daily life is made easier, not harder.
Find minimally invasive pain relief.
For some, medication is enough to manage daily life with pain. For others, though, the pain symptoms may demand a different course of treatment. If this sounds like you, and you don’t want to find yourself taking opioids or other medication, you should know that there are treatment options out there for non-invasive surgery that can help you feel a lot better.
Whatever you choose to do in the way of pain management, make sure to educate yourself about the treatment options you’re exploring. Do you know enough about epidural injections to make a choice about whether it’s the right option for you? Maybe physical therapy to regain strength, with minimal prescription pills, is the way to go instead. Either way, your minimally invasive pain management education is the first step towards feeling better every day. And feeling better every day is the first step towards not letting your arthritis, spine injury, ankle pain, or neck pain get in the way of your career dreams.
Treat Yourself
One way to feel better is just to wear something that helps you to relax. It’s hard to really let everything go in a pair of jeans, isn’t it? And if your pajamas are basically just an old t-shirt that you borrowed from your dad or got for free from some office morale-boosting day, that probably doesn’t make you feel too special.
You’d be surprised what amazing experiences you can have, just by investing in some nicer loungewear or pajamas. Some really nice nightgowns can improve your sleep, which makes you wake up on the right side of the bed. Waking up in a silky nightgown, with renewed energy, will probably help your career growth. You don’t have to be a genius innovator to know that you sleep better in a silky soft nightgown than you do in a dirty t-shirt and some grungy sweats.
Wherever your career goals take you, the most important thing to remember is that your pain doesn’t have to hold you back. You can still get every dream you have. Don’t let it hold you back—you can advance just as fast as your non-pain-riddled counterparts can. Just don’t forget that you deserve to work in a great place that excites you, where employees are well taken care of and supported. Work in the kind of place that shows off its employer survey results because they’re just that good. The kind of great place that values employee feedback and offers promotions to employees who excel in their field. Basically, aim high and you’ll get to the great place you deserve to be in.
If there’s a field you’re interested in, but you don’t know much about, don’t hesitate to sign up for a certificate program. Whether you want to be a diesel technician, a real estate agent, an asset manager, or a physical therapist, the certificate programs would lucky to have applicants like you. So don’t put the brakes on your career growth just because you have neck pain or ankle pain. They are finding a new way to manage pain all the time, and with the right state of mind and the right insights into minimally invasive treatment options, you’ll be out there becoming the top-rated employee every year.
