What you need to make your sick day a little less miserable.
As winter approaches, it seems that absolutely everyone on campus is sick. Whether it be the common cold, the flu or other nasty viruses: picking up some sort of sickness at college is inevitable and simply a part of life at this age. This past week, I was bed-ridden for days. With a fever, stuffy nose, and sore throat, all I wanted was to get better or at least make myself feel less helpless in any way. Being sick and thousands of miles away from home, you need to be your own caretaker. Here are some things I found helpful when I was trying to mend myself these past couple of days:
- Heating Pad
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When sick with the chills, there’s not much more a person could want than to be wrapped up in a blanket in bed. What I found to be even greater, though, was using a heating pad to warm me up even more. The chills can be miserable and very uncomfortable, so getting that extra source of warmth can make you feel significantly better. Heating pads are also great for aches and pains that often accompany high fevers.
- Sports Drinks
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Sports drinks aren’t only good for playing on the court, they’re also great for when you’re sick. When I’m feeling under the weather, I usually don’t have much of an appetite. Gatorade or Powerade is my go-to when I want to drink something with flavor to it. The electrolytes that the drinks contain help to rehydrate your body and replenish the electrolytes lost. Overall, sports drinks are great to alternate between plenty of water. Hydration is key when it comes to healing your body!
- Honey
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If you don’t have a bottle of honey in your pantry, I truly recommend you get one for when you’re sick. Honey has great healing properties for sore throats. Honey provides antibacterial properties that can aid in boosting your immune system and ultimately making you feel better. If your throat is hurting, just take down a spoonful of honey; it usually does the trick.
- Popsicles
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Since childhood, I’ve always loved popsicles. They were always my favorite treat when I was little. However, I never realized how they’d come in handy when sick. To me, nothing is better than a cold popsicle when I have a scratchy throat. Although there are no medicinal healing properties in popsicles, their cold temperature always helps soothe my throat when I have a nasty cold.
Being sick is not easy, especially as a college student with work, priorities, and a busy social life. With these things, though, I can promise you you’ll feel much better in only a couple of days. Just remember: stick through it. Bundle up, watch a bunch of movies, and grab some tea. You’ll be back on your feet in no time!