We’re less than three weeks into the New Year and I have already been sick for three days of it. Since I coach club volleyball and had a tournament with hundreds of kids last week, I figure that’s where I got it from. And it seems that everyone I know is getting sick as well. Something’s definitely going around right now. And so, I wanted to write about how I got better quickly! Here are the best ways to fight your illness.
Drink Loads of Water
This is a given, but I still want to say it. Drink as much water as you possibly can. Drinking fluids can replenish anything that your body might be losing while fighting the infection. I’ve been fighting a cough and a runny nose, so the water (especially when cold) is super soothing for my throat. Drinking a consistent amount of water will always make you feel better, regardless of illness. There’s no downside! If you’re using a reusable water bottle, make sure to wash it a lot! If you’re getting even just a tiny bit better and drink from that water bottle before washing it, you’re exposing yourself to that germ again. Wash it everyday!
Eat Three Meals a Day
When I’m sick, my appetite just disappears. I could go hours and hours without getting hungry, which just makes my body weaker without food. I combat this by kind of forcing myself to eat. Even if I’m not hungry, I’ll make myself a piece of toast or yogurt and granola. Even though they’re small meals, it helps to keep up your strength! Make a smaller version of your favorite easy meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It’s important to eat on a somewhat regular schedule (like if you eat breakfast around 9am every day, don’t eat breakfast later than 10:30). This will make you feel a lot better than not eating and not having the strength to fight your cold.
Take the Right Medication
I used to only take DayQuil when I was feeling under the weather. That was basically the only medication I ever considered. But, right now, I have a runny nose more than anything. So when I went to Target to pick something up, I ended up grabbing Mucinex, which is perfect for runny noses. Now that I’ve taken that for a few days, I feel a lot better than I would have if I had only taken DayQuil. Whatever you’re feeling, make sure you get the right medication for it!
Change Your Sheets
This falls under the same principle as washing your water bottle as much as possible! I’m not suggesting to change your sheets every day, but do change them every couple of days. Especially if you’re feeling better than when you first got sick, changing sheets is important to making sure germs don’t stay around you for too long. Whenever I do this, I feel a lot more fresh and relaxed. Another good tactic is to change your clothes semi-frequently as well. It will help you feel so much better!
Avoid Sugar
Some sugars, like fruits, are okay. But the kind of sugar that you find in candy or ice cream is not what you want to ingest while being sick. When I have a sore throat, sometimes ice cream sounds like the best thing in the entire world. But the sugar that’s in it is terrible for your body when you’re under the weather. Ice cream could increase the phlegm in your throat and just make you more miserable than you already are from being sick. It’s a lose/lose. Try to lean more towards healthier sugars, like fruit, that help build your immunity back up.
These are all of the tips that I use when I’m under the weather. They’re working, too! I got sick on Tuesday night and I already feel better on Friday. I hope you can use these tricks to help feel better! Thank you so much for reading!
Love,
Kaitlin
Kaitlin H Powell 