How to Fight Back Against Cold & Flu Season

I got sick last week. I woke up on Monday and knew I was sick, but I stubbornly stayed in denial, forcing myself through my normal motions, despite my body screaming out in protest. I just kept thinking, I don’t have time to be sick! A very wise friend of mine gently suggested that I stay home from work on Monday to rest. I ignored her. Tuesday morning, she proposed the same thing. I went to work anyways…and then ended up coming home early. My body just couldn’t take it anymore. I was an achy, sniffly, sneeze-y mess. That afternoon, I curled up under a blanket and zoned out in front of the TV for hours in my cocoon of tissues and cough drops, only sitting up momentarily when that very wise friend of mine so sweetly dropped off a container of hot chicken noodle soup.

Truthfully, I can’t even remember the last time I had actually watched TV. I have the TV on for background noise as I cook and clean, but I’ve been spending every spare minute I have on creating my health coaching program. Add on a full-time job, an energetic border collie, church activities, and some semblance of a social life and you have a recipe for burnout, which is precisely what happened. My mind and body both slammed on the brakes and I was down for the count.

Refusing to acknowledge your sickness and continuing at your normal pace? Yeah, that method is entirely ineffective. So, instead, I urge you to go with things that actually work to get you healthy and back on your feet ASAP.

#1 – Prevention

Keep your immune system going strong to fight off those infections!

Eat a whole lot of fruits and vegetables – An apple a day really does help in keeping the doctor away!
Move your body regularly – Go walk the dog! Swim at the rec center. Zumba in your living room. Chase your kids!
Get lots of sleep – It doesn’t have to be 8 hours on the dot, but you know how much sleep you need…and you’re probably not getting it. So, go to bed early tonight. It’ll save you a lot of strife in the long run!
Keep your stress in check – Take time to relax and take care of yourself. I’m a big fan of bubble baths, cuddling with my adorable border collie, and listening to my Colbie Caillat station on Pandora.
Wash your hands – Do what you can to keep the germs at bay.

#2 – Be Prepared

Start every fall by putting together a cold kit, so that you’re not having to run to the store when you should be resting in bed. This is what I keep in mine:

Sleepytime tea – My favorite tea of all the teas.
Honey – Because it’s rich in antioxidants, it helps calm that nighttime cough, and it makes the tea taste so much better.
Ready-made chicken noodle soup – You don’t want to have to go to the store or stand over the stove cooking when you don’t feel good. Save your energy by having soup ready to just heat and eat.
Cough drops – Cool Berry Breezers are my favorite. They’re soothing and they don’t taste like medicine.
Emergen-C – As soon as I start feeling sick, I add a packet of this to my water bottle for the vitamin C boost. I also try to eat an orange, but they’re not as easy to constantly keep on-hand in my cupboard.
NyQuil & DayQuil (or whatever medicine you prefer to take) – To attack the symptoms head-on.
Tissue pack – I keep one in my purse and another in my work bag when I’m sick, so I always have tissues close by.
Hand sanitizer – Good for keeping your germs off of other people and their germs off of you. I always buy fun scents, even though I can’t usually smell much of anything in the middle of a cold!

#3 – Slow Down

No, really. Slow down. I know you don’t want to. I know there are 10 million other things you should be doing, but if you keep doing them all, you’re just going to prolong your recovery (and you probably won’t be able to do them all that well anyways). Go to bed. Read a book. Put on a movie. Take a nap. Your body will thank you.

#4 – Hydrate

Drink water, tea, or orange juice and eat soup, fruits, and vegetables. Staying hydrated breaks up your congestion and keeps your throat from getting too dry. It’s important to drink water anyways, but even more so when you’re sick!

Stay healthy out there!