This advice has worked for me in several occasions, specially if we are not talking about a serious case of the flu or in 2020 the COVID-19 Pandemic. I am talking about the occasional once a year cold that makes you feel miserable for 2-7 days.
- Drink as much water as you can at least between 80oz to 160 oz.
- Take vitamin D and C some health professionals have found that skimping or being low on vitamin D makes you more prone to respiratory infections or viruses and it also helps synthesize your vitamin C intake in a more efficient manner than taking vitamin C alone.
- Get a lot of sleep. I am not talking 7-8 hours no, I am talking get at least 9 to 10 hrs of sleep (when you are sick, you can make an exception)
- As crazy as it sounds, use this time to be mindful of your pain, feel the pain, we make it worse because we try to avoid feeling our pain. Intentionally learn to sit and be with the pain, be with the illness and accept that you will be ok eventually but right now you are not and don't think of all the things that you should be doing right now. Just learn to be still with your discomfort. (this is the hardest part)
I want to say that probably in the past decade I may have had a cold that knocks me down completely only once and I have reasons to believe it was COVID 19 but at the time, there was no test for it and I tested negative for the flu, so I will never know what it was as the COVID antibodies came back negative 8 months after I got sick. All in all, you are the only one that can do this for you, so please get some sleep, get some vitamin D and C, water, and mindfulness. You will be ok in just a couple short days or so I hope.
With Love,
Lina
