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Oh No, I'm Sick! Emergency Tips for Parents Who Can't Afford to Be Under the Weather |
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by jenlemen  (December 2006) (rank 4th) |
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It's the holidays and no one wants to be sick--there are presents to be bought, wrapped, shipped, etc. So imagine my dismay to realize that I'm getting sick at the busiest time of the year! Here's what I'm doing to get back on track with my health asap.
- Start guzzling copious amounts of water immediately. I once was good friends with a scientist/researcher for a rare disease. I'll never forget her feel-better advice one time when I was sick--Your body needs tons of fluids to fight off illness, so you really can't go wrong drinking lots of water. She went on to add a very medical/biological reason why that was completely over my head, but I got the point that she had done her homework. Add this to my nurse/mother echoing in my ear my whole life long, and I was convinced. At the first sign of being sick, see if you can flush it out of your system with fluid.
- Pump up with the vitamins. I use zinc at the first onset of a cold and prefer a powdered vitamin C and B drink to help me get through all that water. Zinc has been known to reduce the duration of the common cold, and the Cs and Bs will bolster your energy while your body works to get your immune system on track.
- Treat your signs of illness symptomatically. If I had a dime for everytime my mother told me this, I'd be a rich woman! But it's true. If I stay on top of my symptoms, generally speaking no one ailment has time to morph into another. Right now I'm taking an over-the-counter cold remedy that dries me out. Hopefully I'll be able to avoid all the fluid that goes to your lungs and causes havoc one week later with a nasty flu.
- Stay hot, hot, hot. Your body will use extra energy to bring cold items to body temperature, so it's in your best interest to drink warm soups and teas. A sore throat or congested head? Use super spicy ingredients to clear your passages and soothe your weary body. Sometimes these are the very ingredients with the healing properties you need to start to feel better.
- Call in all your favors. I'm well-known on my street for being that mom where you can drop your kids off at a moment's notice. When I realized that I was starting to feel under the weather this week, I made a few calls and asked some neighbors and friends if they would mind taking a turn watching my kids. Everyone was happy to oblige, so I've had the last few days to rest and try to lay low until I'm fully recovered.
- Go to bed when your kids do. This is my number one secret strategy for feeling better fast. Sometimes all you need to get back on your feet is one or two nights of solid sleep. Do whatever it takes to crawl into bed the second your little ones look the tiniest bit drowsy. Consider a sleep aid if your symptoms are interfering with a good night's rest.
- Ask your partner for help. I use this as a last resort, since my husband already has his hands full with a very crazy work schedule and nighttime graduate course, but sometimes it's essential that I ask him to step in so I don't get worse. Last night he volunteered to come home early so I could get to bed on time. The night before that I asked him to get dinner up for the kids. It's hard to ask for help when we need it, but this is what we signed up for, right? in sickness and in health?
What's your best get-better strategy?
