Resting When You're Sick
Being sick always comes at the most inconvenient times. It never seems to come on a rainy day when no one wants to be outside. Instead you always find yourself stuck indoors on the most beautiful days feeling terrible with only the desire to lay in bed or on the couch. For most of my life I would turn to watching movies when I was sick. You don’t really feel like doing anything else, so you just stare at a screen, not really enjoying the movie or even processing what is going on. It took me a number of years to realize that this type of behaviour wasn’t even restful for me while I was sick. It usually made my headache far worse and my sickness would just be drawn out. What your body really needs is a rest from your normal everyday habits.
You see when sickness takes over your body, your immune system forms an army of white blood cells to go attack the foreign substance in your body and that usually takes up all of your extra energy, making you tired. So instead of interrupting that process by drawing the focus of your energy to digesting food, try flushing out your system. You most likely won’t feel like eating regular food anyway.
If you fill your body with liquid, you are helping to flush out the harmful toxins causing harm to your body. I always buy the large gatorades and make it a goal to see how many I can drink in a day. Be warned that you will have to use the bathroom every 20 minutes, but you are also getting rid of the sickness 20 minutes at a time.
When you do gain some appetite back, make sure you are eating well! Depending on what you’re sick with, you may want to avoid certain foods. For example, if you’re nauseous and are having stomach issues, stay away from smelly foods. Stick to dry foods - pretzels, toast, saltines, etc. Cold foods with very little odor are also good like frozen fruit, popsicles, etc. Overall, try to avoid super sugary or unhealthy foods. Your body is trying to get better and those kinds of foods won’t help.
If you can suffer to do something other than watch movies, I suggest working, writing or reading. It helps to keep your mind occupied so that you are not dwelling on how bad you feel. Don’t do anything too taxing, as you are still supposed to be resting, but as long as you are resting your physical body and not over taxing your emotions, there should be nothing wrong with exercising your brain while you rest.
There is never a convenient time to be sick; however, it’s an opportunity for rest. Next time you’re sick, remember to give yourself time to truly rest. The healing process is quicker when we actively choose to take care of ourselves.
Challenges/Points:
Think about your normal routine when you're sick, are you causing more harm than good?
Make a list of things you can accomplish while you are sick and save them for when you need them.
Share this list with a family member and try coming up with things you can do together so that you have a plan the next time one of you gets sick.
Questions:
What types of liquids can you keep in your cabinet for a sick day?
What standby book can you have on your shelf to read when you are sick?
Do you have soup in your cabinet right now?
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