It’s that time of year… the mystery Winter quarter bug is going around. Being sick sucks — duh — but I must say, as a music major whose primary instrument is her voice, it sucks just a tiny bit extra for me.
Because I need to be totally healthy to practice, over the years I’ve developed a bit of a regimen to help fight off a sickness when I feel one coming, and get better quickly if it’s already hit.
Last week, as I fought for my life with a recent cold, I got a text from my mother that read: “I love that you know how to care for yourself.” I keep thinking about it. It made me realize that I take that ability for granted and that a lot of people, especially young adults transitioning into living alone for the first time, don’t have the same know-how.
So with my mother’s text in mind, (thanks for the article idea, mama!) I’ve compiled a list of my most useful tips and tricks to shorten the road to recovery. Some are more basic, some a bit niche, and none are real medical advice, of course – but I hope there’s a helpful takeaway here for readers at all stages of life.
The Basics
So you wake up, you’re feeling crummy… here’s my first tip — turn off your alarm, email your professors hoping for an excused absence, and go right back to sleep. If there’s anything I learned about health growing up, it’s that rest is the best medicine. It’s so easy to succumb to hustle culture, especially in a university environment, but never forget that rest isn’t only necessary, it’s productive. I believe that if we all stopped feeling so guilty about relaxing, our immune systems would reward us with strength and resilience.
Now, once you wake up again (no, don’t check the clock… and certainly don’t check Canvas!!), if you feel strong enough, get into a hot shower. You don’t even need to wash yourself — just let the heat and steam do their thing. If you want to be fancy, a shower steamer can be a nice addition and feels great for cold symptoms.
Once out of the shower, change out of your sleep clothes into clean loungewear, do your dental hygiene stuff, and pull your hair back so that it’s out of your face. Hopefully, you’re already feeling just a bit better!
Fuel Up!
I used to look up “what to eat to get better quick” every time I was sick — and it never got me anywhere. It wasn’t until I started listening to my body and my cravings that I started to understand how to fuel myself and boost my immune response.
A lot of lifestyle influencers will say that if you’re feeling under the weather, to drink as much water as humanly possible. While hydration is obviously important, I can never stomach that much water while sick. Instead, I’ll drink fruit smoothies and a ton of orange juice. I like to also put grape fruit seed (GSE) extract in my juices and smoothies when I’m sick, which is a great immune-boosting supplement. I’ve also had great results with Source Naturals’ Wellness Formula Immune Support and any vitamin that contains elderberry (I prefer it in my melatonin).
Above all though, it’s so important to remember that quick healing is impossible without food and nutrients to fuel it. Sometimes eating while sick feels like a daunting task — your body feels weak, you don’t want to stand in the kitchen and cook, and you don’t even really have an appetite — but that’s why it’s so important to listen to your cravings.
As a child, my sick craving was always orzo pasta with butter and a ton of black pepper. It was a random thing to crave, but it always made me feel better. Now, I know that pepper actually has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties — but I certainly didn’t know that ten years ago! My point is that our bodies are smart and our cravings are usually not random. So listen!!
On a slightly different note, I love to meal-prep homemade soups and freeze them so that I can easily warm them up when I’m not feeling well. I like to use soup cubes for this — I think they are 100% a worthwhile investment.
Now…repeat!
Still not feeling better? Be patient! Jeez!!
These steps aren’t going to work right away, but they have you on the right path. Continue resting without guilt, practicing basic hygiene in a way that isn’t exhausting, fueling your body, listening to your cravings and taking your supplements (if that floats your boat), and I bet you’ll be feeling just like new before you know it.
P.S. The second you’re feeling better, strip your bed and wash your sheets!! Best feeling ever — I promise.