The words “self-care” and “student” rarely fit into the same sentence on a normal day, let alone when you get sick. If you take a day for “self-care” and resting, you fall behind on your schoolwork and are caught scrambling for the rest of the semester. If you push yourself to go to class and other responsibilities, you find yourself stuck with a chronic cold for 3 months. So, what are you supposed to do when you catch a cold right before paper season and finals?
While getting sick is definitely not ideal, you don’t have to completely sacrifice your health or grades in order to survive. Instead, try to find a compromise with yourself in the following things.
- Get some sleep.
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You’re probably thinking, “Are you crazy? I can’t just sleep unless I plan on sacrificing my first-born child in order to pass this semester.” Let’s be realistic. If you’re forcing yourself to stay up and go through hours of work, you’re probably exhausted and not working that efficiently. If you really aren’t feeling well one day, it’s okay to miss a class or two if you need to sleep in. Instead of doing sub-par work for hours on end, take a nap and work harder in a shorter period of time.
- Drink, drink, drink!
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Tea is your best friend right now. Have a cup in the morning, while you’re studying or on the go! Peppermint, lemon and ginger are always go-to flavours when you have a cold. If you don’t like tea, a glass of orange juice, warm water with lemon, or just plain water can help too.
BONUS: in terms of cold meds, Advil Cold & Sinus, NeoCitrin, cough drops (Halls, Ricolas), and my water bottle are my absolute go-tos whenever I’m sick.
- Layers.
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For most of us, as finals season approaches, so does the cold weather. If you’ve been brave enough to leave your home, you’re probably going from the freezing cold outdoors to the library or a classroom with the heat on full blast. Instead of being more uncomfortable than you probably already feel, pack an extra sweater or a pair of warm socks that you can put on if needed.
- Know your limits.
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It’s university. There’s always something going on, whether it’s a party, event, birthday dinner, you name it. However, unless you plan on being sick for the rest of finals, now isn’t the time to go out until the sun comes up. That’s not to say you should bail on all of your plans, but rather to either make a compromise or pick and choose the ones you want to go to. You don’t have to cancel on your friend’s birthday dinner, but you also don’t have to stay for the club part after.
- Weigh the pros and cons.
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Although it’s important to take care of your body, you should also think ahead. You can probably catch up in the weeks after your cold, but you’ll be better off if you don’t leave yourself half a semester’s worth of work. If you feel as though you can make it to class and it would be worth it, go. Just don’t push yourself so hard that you won’t be functional later on–it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Images obtained from:
https://www.inverse.com/article/60083-tea-could-reduce-cognitive-decline
https://www.123rf.com/photo_80037537_knitted-wool-sweaters-pile-of-knitt…