Disability Insurance as a safety net, that can help us create new ways to thrive!

After approval for disability insurance I’ve seen many of us settle into an uncomfortable early retirement.  We welcome the protection of a safe monthly income. We don’t have to struggle over the pain, weakness and other symptoms just to do the work we had done more effortlessly in earlier years.  And we no longer have to worry about being “found out” as being unable to do our jobs correctly or at all.

But, not working can have many downsides too. Starting with reduced income, but including reduced social interaction, diminished sense of purpose, further declines in physical and mental abilities and predictably a higher risk for depression.

So what to do about it?

The conditions that caused us to access our disability insurance may not always affect us the same way every single day. Some days we may feel better than others and some days can even lead us to think “Maybe I could still handle working again. Maybe part-time?”

But consistent performance is key to what employers need from workers.  And disability often takes away just that function.

Even if employers could hire us to work just on our good days, disability insurance systems don’t allow for that either.

But where there are wills there may be ways!

In my travels I have seen numerous friends with disabilities use the time and financial support provided by their disability coverage to find new ways to keep living and seek out unique solutions that work for them on their good days.

  • One woman began volunteering to help others less fortunate than she and was able to make new friends, feel gratitude and ultimately also bring home some money as a stipend.
  • Another gentleman created a product for similarly disabled individuals that he sold over the internet.
  • The most notable story is of a woman who learned to paint even with a serious disability and, in doing so, qualified for grant money and some modest fame.

The safety net of disability insurance coverage and the peace of mind it can give, allows people who want to bring back some of the benefits from their working years to enjoy on those good days. Along the way many find new skills, successes and joys that they never would have known without it.