I have fortunately been very #blessed when it comes to staying healthy in the year and a half that I’ve been away at school. However, my luck ran out this past weekend as I was plagued by the flu. Did I get my flu shot you ask? No, because I thought, “there’s no way I’ll get sick!!” This is step number one ladies: always get the flu shot. A lot of campuses and CVS stores offer free flu vaccines, so take advantage of this, because it can spread faster than you would think (the 5 other sick girls living in my sorority house will vouch for this).
Now if you’re like me, and missed Step 1, then the advice to follow will be a little bit more helpful to you. The most important thing you can give your body is water. It can be really easy to get dehydrated when you’re spending a lot of hours in bed and not feeling well, so constantly drinking water and drinks like Gatorade and Powerade that have a lot of electrolytes will help keep you hydrated.
Second, get some rest. I know, I know. This is the hardest thing to do as a busy college girl because we want to do it all, but listen to your body when it’s time to slow down a little bit and take a few nights off. You’ll be thanking yourself the next morning in class.
Third, eat right. When you’re sick, it’s very common to lose your appetite, but it is also more important than ever to give your body the proper nutrients that you need to feel better. If you don’t even want to look at food, try these yummy and agreeable snacks throughout the day to stay energized: apples, bananas, toast with jelly, bread (I mean, always eat bread, bread is amazing), microwavable rice, saltine crackers, and broth based soup.
Lastly, pamper yourself a little! Take a nice hot shower, do your nails, Netflix and chill with yourself, pull off those PJ’s and throw on a cute, comfy outfit. When you’re sick and feeling gross, sometimes looking better makes you feel better.
Going away to college is all about learning how to take care of yourself, and sickness will really put you to the test. Especially if you had a high school experience like mine where being sick meant no school, a movie marathon, and my mom’s homemade chicken noodle soup. It can be hard to drag yourself out of bed, but it is so important to do what you have to do to nurture yourself back to health. Then when you feel better you can pat yourself on the back and treat yourself to some ice cream and chocolate. You deserve it!
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