How to Function When You’re Sick
Yeah, grown-ups get sick too, but we can’t just skip school. We have responsibilities. We can’t just ditch life. That’s why I decided to partner with Advil and Socialstars™ and share with you a few tips to help you function when you’re sick.
If you’re anything like me, you probably catch that nasty common cold a few times in the year. Usually it happens after I have insomnia and my immune system doesn’t have a chance to kick in. And usually the boss just isn’t impressed when you call in sick for a cold.
But the truth is, a cold can come along with a lot more – a throbbing headache, chills, and sometimes you really feel like you can’t function. And there are some responsibilities that you just can’t call in sick on (motherhood, for example.)
And then there are those of us who are self-employed, and we simply can’t take a break, because if we don’t get stuff done, no one will.
While the only real solution is to rest up and wait it out, there are little things you can do to help you function when you’re sick.
5 Things to do to help you function when you’re sick:
1. Rest when you can: your immune system needs a chance to kick in, so even though you can’t sleep through the day, make sure you sleep through the night. No phone in bed. Breathe easy. Take small measures to relieve the symptoms so that you can sleep better.
2. Chase away the pain: some symptom relief can go a long way to help you function when you’re sick! Help ease cold symptoms using cold medicine. Advil Cold & Sinus helps ease sinus congestion so that I can sleep better at night. It also keeps me going during the day so that I can cook dinner, and, you know, do damage control around the house…
Note: Use Advil Cold & Sinus as directed.
3. Ask for help: It’s never pleasant to ask for help. But that’s what friends are for, and you’ll be there for when they need you. Whether it’s a little bit of cover-up in the work force, or it’s asking the spouse to tackle dinner, it’s okay to ask!
4. Lower your expectations: I don’t mean your boss’s expectations. I mean your own. If you have a common cold, today is not the day to be a perfectionist. Tackle your responsibilities with the bare minimum that must be done and save perfectionism for tomorrow.
5. Take care of yourself: Drink that tea! Lie down! Take a hot steamy shower. You may have gotten here because you were too busy taking care of everyone else to think about yourself. Time to backtrack and take care of you, because if you don’t, who will?
6. Get some air: I don’t know about you, but the moment I’m sick I tend to close myself in. I stay in pajamas all day. Open a window. Get dressed. Put on makeup. You’ll feel like the atmosphere you put yourself in.
There are little things you can do to help you function when you’re sick but for me the best one is to tackle those symptoms. A “little cold” can feel stronger than I expect it to, and taking Advil Cold & Sinus right before those key moments that I need to really “adult” (such as in the morning, right before I sit down to work) help me get power through the day.
It helps chase away those symptoms that don’t let me sleep and makes a huge difference!
How do you function when you’re sick? Comment below!
I get sick all the time and my biggest issue is lowering expectations. As a mom and perfectionist, not being able to get things done and have everything as I want it is such a challenge. Fresh air and Advil definitely are helpful (Advil especially if your throat is starting to feel sore or your sinuses are swollen–can make a HUGE difference in how quickly you feel better.).
Totally! You know how I’m all about self-forgiveness and not expecting the world from ourselves! I think it’s a challenge when we just want to do the best we can – we need to acknowledge that we are human.