All Psyched Up: Get better!
By DR. LINDA HANCOCK on January 22, 2022.
I knew there was something wrong on Saturday. Usually I handle stress really well and am a very contented individual. But I felt out of sorts. I wasn’t really sick, but everything seemed to bother me, and I was frustrated with the simplest of things. I thought a nap might help and was shocked when I woke up 11 hours later! By Sunday I had a headache and my body hurt so much that it felt like I had been hit by a truck. One minute I was burning up and the next minute I had chills. Everything was confusing to me as I hadn’t recently been exposed to anyone who was sick, so I really didn’t know what was going on. The only good thing was that I wasn’t coughing or nauseated. To be honest, I was not only weak in my body but also in my thinking. I was too tired to attempt anything beyond basic survival. Then I started thinking about what we would do when I got the flu as a child in small-town Saskatchewan. Back then we didn’t have all the modern medicine options of today but there were some simple ways of handling illness and promoting recovery. There has been a lot of illness and thinking about illness in the world lately and so I thought I would share some of the ways I have been handling my bout of the flu: 1. Acknowledge that sometimes the body wears down and becomes infected. Sickness is just part of life and if we expect to always be healthy, we will likely be disappointed. 2. Recognize the fact that, with time and patience, the body will recovery. Now I know this doesn’t apply to all types of disease, but it does for many illnesses. 3. Rest is one of the best treatments for recovery. If you go to bed and stay there, your body will have a better chance to regain health, 4. Drink plenty of fluids. Our body is 80 per cent water, and we therefore need to drink water every day. When we are sick it is even more important to be able to flush out the germs. 5. Take an over-the-counter pain killer sparingly to help with headaches and body aches. 6. Remember the old expressions that you learned in the past such as “Feed a cold but starve a fever.” 7. Cancel any commitments you have on the calendar for the next few days. If you push yourself to attend, you will likely delay your recovery. On the other hand, if you are honest about your illness, others will likely respect this as they are not at risk of catching it. 8. Give yourself at least three days to get rid of the ‘bug’ and several more to regain your strength. 9. Focus only on the above procedures. Your job is to get better, and your actions will promote this. My grandpa used to say, “If you have your health, you can earn your wealth”. The goal this week is to regain your health. 10. Think about how wonderful it was before you became ill and how you will appreciate your health again once this is over. It doesn’t matter where you live, what season you are in or your age. We all have times when we come down with something that disables us for a period of time. The important thing is that you accept the fact that this is part of life and care for yourself wisely. Before you know it, you will be back on your feet and ready for the next adventure! Dr. Linda Hancock, the author of “Life is An Adventure…every step of the way” and “Open for Business Success” is a Registered Psychologist who has a private practice. Visit http://www.LindaHancock.com or email her at office@drlindahancock.com. 19-18
