Making time to care for yourself on a normal day can be hard. Sometimes there are not even enough hours in the day to just breathe. We have class, we have work, and then at the end of the day, we find ourselves so tired that we just want to pass out with reruns of Sex and the City lighting up our bedrooms, or maybe that’s just me.
However, sometimes life has other plans. Take me for example, your fearless HerCampus author: This week I got the flu.
In between sweaty naps and doses of Tylenol, I found myself wondering how I could make the situation better for myself, after all, I did have all this new free time. As much as I tried to have the perfect sickness, I did experience some trial and error. Hopefully, this will provide some level of comfort to anyone who could use a little bit of sunshine while trapped under the influenza cloud.
I brushed my teeth.
A simple gesture of self-care, but I did it. Do you realize how much arm muscle is used during the 30 seconds or so that you brush your teeth? It felt like I was lifting weights.
I drove myself to the on-campus clinic and sobbed on the way through the door.
Not my prettiest moment, I’ll admit, although I had good intentions. I knew I needed a legitimate diagnosis if I was going to miss my classes so I forced myself to go to the doctor. After not being able to find a parking spot, and failing at parallel parking while a bus impatiently waited in the street behind me, I trudged up to the clinic doors. My body ached so bad that I couldn’t help but unsuccessfully stifle a teary-eyed whine, not caring about the passing students who watched me in horror.
I only skipped my skincare the first night.
Do not be fooled! You should never skip your skincare, but you do get a pass if you’re so sick that it feels like you have been hit by a truck. In my case, I watched the hours slip away on my phone screen, telling myself that I would wait five more minutes before getting up to wash my face. Five minutes turned into the whole night, I never got to it. However, believe me when I say that I did everything but beat myself up about it.
The thing about being sick and alone is that the risk of self destructive behavior is almost inevitable. Instead, I forgave myself for this minor indiscretion and promised to not let it happen again. If I would have looked in the mirror, angry at what I saw, the flu would have won.
DON’T LET THE FLU WIN!
I picked up my dirty clothes.
When mother nature decides to put your immune system in the ring, try not to get knocked out. Never in my life have I ever sweat while tidying up my closet floor, until this week. It felt like a full 30-minute Peloton HIIT workout. My muscles were on fire, but I begrudgingly finished my task for the day. Baby steps.
I started a new show.
What is a better time to be unapologetically unproductive than when you’re sick? I cannot think of many. I had been hearing all this talk of House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones spinoff. For some reason, I was dodging spoilers even though I had never even seen Game of Thrones. Isn’t that funny?
That became my new mission: Watch Game of Thrones. I am only one episode in so far but trust me when I say that starting a new tv show is a great way to pass the hours while waiting to take your next dose of medicine.
and I went home.
I realize that not every college student lives close to their parents’ home, so for that reason, I ask readers to take this part with a grain of salt. I called my parents begging that they have mercy on me, and my wonderful father drove up to rescue me from my dark and scary apartment. If I am being completely honest, going home was better than any medicine I was prescribed. Being in my real bed, having my mama periodically bring me cough drops and hugs – there’s nothing like it.
Being sick sucks, to put it plainly. You ache, you cry, you sniffle, you curse the universe, and try to remember what it was like to not have a stuffy nose. You go through the motions, sometimes alone, and it is totally understandable if you want to curl up in the fetal position and not talk to anyone for 3-5 business days, just don’t shut yourself out. Negativity lurks in the corners of your bacteria-ridden room, creeping closer with every cough, every sneeze, every headache. Make it your job to keep it at bay! Little tasks and missions can make your whole experience that much more tolerable. So brush your teeth, binge that new documentary, shove your clothes so far down your hamper and slam your closet door shut. Forget normal for the time being. Be there for yourself. And make sure you have tissues.