Over the past two years, I’ve been super lucky and not gotten sick. This weekend, however, my luck ran out. I got a cold, and it genuinely knocked me out. Being sick always reminds me to be grateful for when I’m healthy, but there are a bunch of other lessons that you can learn from being sick.
- Listen to your body
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When you’re sick, it’s obvious you have to listen to your body. However, when you’re healthy, it’s something you can easily forget to do. Listening to your body can keep you from getting sick often, but it also is just important to do. If you feel overly exhausted every day, make changes so that you can get to bed earlier or sleep in later. If you’re hungry, eat! If you eat and don’t feel good afterward, look into what you’re eating and see if it is good to put into your body. Pay attention to what makes you happy and what doesn’t, and try to make adjustments to have an overall healthier life.
- never underestimate rest
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When I started feeling sick, I was not excited. However, I was excited to be able to rest in bed all weekend guilt-free, and when I realized that, I saw how wrong it was. I shouldn’t have time to rest when it’s the only thing I can do. While it’s easier said than done, I realized that I need to make small adjustments in my everyday life to make time to relax. That way, your body gets the physical rest it needs, but also mental rest from the overwhelming feeling of college.
- It’s okay to ask for help
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I feel like I grew up quite independently, and while there are many perks of being self-sufficient, I feel like it causes me to hesitate when asking for help. When you’re sick, you don’t have any other option. My roommates are absolute angels and have been helping me out this past weekend, and it reminded me that they will be more than likely to help me out when I’m healthy as well. Don’t be afraid to ask for help because most people are genuinely good and will do anything to look out for their loved ones.
- Don’t apologize for being sick
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When I was emailing my boss and my professors to communicate with them that I was sick, I found myself apologizing profusely. When I started proofreading my emails, however, I decided to take back unnecessary apologies. While I do feel bad for calling out of work, especially since we have been so short-staffed, I’m not doing anything wrong by being sick and calling out. I didn’t choose to get sick, and working would only make me worse and possibly infect coworkers or customers. The responses from my boss and professors were both very kind and helped me to further understand that I didn’t need to apologize.
Whenever you get sick, it’s never fun. But it can teach you a lot about yourself and can be useful in making healthier choices in the future!