Currently, I’m dealing with strep throat, which is never a fun time. I can’t remember the last time I had strep, but it seems like I’m someone who is always constantly sick. With the weather going from warm to freezing in a matter of hours, my body just can’t handle that and therefore I’m constantly dealing with ‘cold’ symptoms from the months of October through April. Because of my constant sickness, I’ve got some tricks to feeling instantly a little better, and rather quickly.
Comfy Clothes
If I have the opportunity to lounge around and do nothing all day when I’m sick, I really take advantage of that. Even if I have to go somewhere like class, to go to, I still dress really comfy whether that be a big chunky sweater, leggings, and fuzzy socks or even sweatpants and a hoodie. I like to make sure I’m conformable when I’m not feeling so good. With athleisure wear being in style and if you’re currently in college, you can definitely make comfy still look cute.
Vitamins
The first signs of feeling sick I stuff myself full of vitamins either through vitamin pills or with awesome fruits and veggies that are full of vitamins. I love making a green smoothie in the morning to start off my day right. I stuff my blender full of spinach, kale, frozen fruit, banana, chia seeds, and coconut water for extra hydration. Not only if does the smoothie help if I have a sore throat, but it fuels my body with tons of nutrients to help my body fight off whatever I’ve been dealing with.
Tea
I love tea any time of the year, but when I’m feeling sick I tend to drink multiple cups a day. In the mornings, I typically have a green tea of some kind with lemon, honey, or just by itself. It has a little bit of caffeine so it helps wake me up, but it also has so many benefits like detoxifying your body.
This year I recently discovered Traditional Medicinals Organic Throat Coat Tea. This tea is amazing if you have a sore or irritated throat and find yourself constantly coughing. Although it’s not my favorite tasting tea, it really does coat my throat and gets rid of the irritation almost immediately.
Makeup
If I do unfortunately have to go out in public when I’m not feeling the best, I try my hardest to not look sick. Even though I might not be in the mood to put on makeup, I still try to make myself look presentable. Why? Because I’m a strong believer that if you look good, you feel good. I’ve had so many people when I complain that I’m not feeling well or I’m sick, say “well you don’t look sick!” That’s because I don’t strive to look sick when I’m not feeling well. If I feel confident about the way I look, even if I feel crummy on the inside, I still feel a little better than if I didn’t put in any effort into my appearance at all that day. All that being said, there are days that there is NO WAY that I’ll put in the time or effort in doing my makeup or hair and that’s totally okay.
Hydration
Along with drinking tea, getting your fluids in is so important when you’re sick. Drinking extra amounts of H2O can really do wonders to the body…I swear water can cure almost anything! Carrying around a bottle of water with me throughout the day really helps remind me to stay hydrated and keep drinking water!
Water can also be hard to be constantly drinking when I’m sick which is why I like to treat myself to juices like cold-press juices full of nutrients or apple juice, one of my favorite juices. Juices do have a lot of sugar in it and especially drinking a lot of apple juice can have digestion side effects. To avoid those, I just dilute my apple juice with majority water and a splash of juice. That way I have that great taste, but with less sugar.
Medication
For sore throats specifically, the first sign of feeling sick I take a couple of ibuprofen. This way I hope that I can stop the pain before it spreads. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case this current time, but it still makes the day more bearable to not constantly be in pain.
Along with pain relievers, taking immune boosting supplements such as Airborne or Zicam or vitamin C pills is something that I really try to do with the first signs of getting sick. Zicam especially is supposed to shorten the duration of your cold or stop the signs of it head-on. I do have to warn you, however, if you’ve never taken Zicam before, do not take it on an empty stomach. Make sure to get your healthy breakfast in before which I find is the case with most medication.
Have Me Time
Taking a nice, hot shower, doing a face mask, laying in bed in comfy clothes and watching a movie, are all things that I love to do when I’m not feeling too good. Just taking the time to lay low and doing things that I enjoy instantly makes me feel 100x better.
Get Enough Rest
Lastly, and most importantly, get a good nights rest. When I’m sick, I like to go to bed with the idea that I can get at least 10 hours of sleep that night before I have to get up in the morning. Sleeping is vital for your body to restore and recover from the day before. Giving your body additional sleep will help your immune system build back up and shorten the duration of your sickness.
If you find that your symptoms aren’t going away and are getting worse after a week and a half, don’t be like me, and make sure to go see a doctor. I’m known for not going to the doctors because I feel like my body can just fight it off, but chances are, especially when it comes to having a sore throat if it’s still going strong a week later and not going away, it’s time to bit the bullet and see a doctor. I’m happy I did since I now have the proper medication to treat my strep throat.
What are your go-to’s when you’re feeling sick? Let me know in the comments down below!
