With flu season almost behind us, you may think that your chances of getting sick are slim! But there is always the chance that you can catch a cold or a 24-hour bug. In the scenario that you do find yourself feeling icky one day, here are some non-medicinal tips for feeling better:
1. Catch some Zs. Your body is always able to function and recover better when you’re well rested. Just make sure not to sleep more than 10 hours!
2. Drink lots of fluids. Drinking water in particular helps to flush out all of the nasty toxins and other gross stuff that accumulates in the body when sick.
3. Vitamin C or bust! Vitamin C has been shown to decrease the intensity and duration of illnesses such as colds, so make sure to consume a bunch of it via fruits, veggies or emergen-c.
4. Get up and out! While your first instinct might be to mope around in bed for the entire day, you should try to get up and go somewhere for a little bit. The best time for this would be meal times, so you can get some fresh air and satisfy your stomach’s irritability.
5. Make honey your best friend. Honey has anti-bacterial properties and is great for soothing sore throats. Eating some will not only help fight your illness but will help fight your daily sugar cravings.
6. Take a (long) warm shower. So it’s probably not the most environmentally friendly solution but the heat of the water is especially good with relieving muscle soreness, headaches and sinus congestion.
7. Relax! This tip may be difficult for some MoHos, but take some time to sit back and watch Hulu, take a nap, or Google random stuff. Your body is naturally under stress when ill, so stressing about classes and homework only adds more pressure on your body.
8. Think positively. There is been plenty of research that shows the power of the brain and positive thinking. If you keep thinking about how disgusting you feel or how you’re missing out on life because you’re sick and shacked up in your room, then you’re going to feel worse. So the next time you feel achy, just think happy thoughts… you’ll instantly feel better!