We all enjoy believing we’re invincible, that those late nights studying (or having fun) won’t catch up to us. Sleep often becomes a thing of the past, especially with the onslaughter of midterms we’ve all hopefully just survived. Sadly for us, not every exam season can end in a beautiful plethora of A’s.
Instead, we get put on bed rest for the weekend, stuck inside with a “severe respiratory virus.” In other words, a really awful cold. Luckily for you, I was that sick girl this past weekend and have lots of tips for getting better ASAP. Because no one wants to miss out on friends and fun, much less on a weekend.
1. Water
I can’t stress how important water is to our overall health, especially when you’re feeling under the weather. Getting at least 64 oz of water a day is incredibly important. If you’re like a lot of people who don’t love water, you can also drink juice or Gatorade. Chicken soup broth is another liquid that counts, and this one is even better for the throat soothing qualities and delicious taste bonus. And just a heads up, caffeine and alcohol are bad ideas, because they’re going to dehydrate you. So while we desperately want that pumpkin spice latte, it will still be around after this week. And you’ll be that much stronger.
2. Sleep
Pretty much a no brainer, but it’s something I definitely don’t truly appreciate. It’s just so easy to sacrifice sleep when we have so much on our plates… we’ve got to cut something out! But ladies, don’t cut back on sleep (especially when you’re sick). 8-10 hours is suggested, and to be honest, I think this is one rule we can all follow. The nurse I spoke with (at the infirmary) even said we can break those hours up. So sleep for 6 hours, then later on take a 2 hour nap. It’ll give your body the break it needs to heal.
3. Bed Rest (Aka mandatory relaxation)
Probably my favorite and least favorite suggestion, relaxing is fabulous. You’re pretty much told to sit in bed for hours on end, doing whatever you want… basically netflix. And it’s fabulous, until you get bored. Because you’re stuck in bed, on what will probably end up being a gorgeous day. Thanks, mother nature! However, no matter how many times netflix judges us, keep on keeping on. Because you’ll be that much happier to a. have seen about 12 hours of Gilmore Girls and b. know you’re getting better.
4. Salt Water
Weird, but soothing. Gargle with warm salt water as often as you like, it’ll help soothe your sore throat. This is a great alternate if you’re getting sick of chicken noodle soup, as they both do the same thing.
5. Dairy…
For me, this was the worst rule. I stuck with it, but wow, it’s so difficult. Especially with the amount of pizza and ice cream in our dining halls. Once you get sick, and that mucus begins to build up in your sinuses and throats (I know, it’s so gross), cut out the dairy. That means no milk, cheese, ice cream, yogurt, butter, really anything that at one point was milk. You can have eggs! That’s about it. Depending on where you are in the severity of the cold will tell you how long you should follow this rule for. I was sick for about a week, and I was dairy free for 4 days. It’s not fun, but just keep reminding yourself that there will always be pizza.
Hopefully these tips help you overcome your cold faster and more easily! Because no one wants to be sick while the weather is still beautiful and midterms are finally over.