Unfortunately I'm not feeling so grand this week ... I've come down with a bit of a cold. Nothing life-threatening (insert ominous soap opera cough) but bad enough that I had to postpone the trip I was supposed to take this week. What's more fun than going on a trip? Sitting on your couch and coughing for hours, of course!
I haven't had a bad cold for a while, so this latest bout of illness got me thinking ....
Do you have any tried-and-true feel-better rituals for when you're sick? A favorite soothing drink, stupid movie or TV show you like to watch, lazy activity, etc.
I'm realizing that my main ritual as an adult is something along the lines of "Take medicine, pass out, drink hot tea when conscious." Could use some improvement. When I was a kid, I had my sick day ritual down pat: My parents would let me lie in their bed during the day (which was normally not allowed) because they had a TV in their room. I would spend the day watching cartoons, reading, or playing with our Atari game console (which was ONLY brought out for sick day occasions—low-fi video bowling anyone?) And I would always drink Sprite or 7-Up mixed with cranberry juice out of a bendy straw. Being sick as a kid was never fun, but these memories do sound a lot more appealing than the Mucinex + drowsiness routine I currently have going on.
How about you? Any classic sick day creature comforts or must-haves?
PS Today is the last day to participate in my reader survey! Please fill it out by 11:59PM ET tonight for a chance to win $10 and my undying love.
Whenever I was sick as a child I used to get ginger ale (for the bug) and my mom would make me chicken noodle or ramen soup. Now, of course when I have a cold I just shovel cold medicine and vitamins down my throat. I do crave a nice bowl of ramen but that does't keep me full for more than 5 minutes on a regular day.
ReplyDeleteMy ultimate go-to illness remedy is staying in my pjs all day, watching old musicals (think South Pacific/Fiddler On The Roof types), drinking plenty of hot tea and eating rice pudding! Never fails to make me feel better because it always cheers me up :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I feel like it's common to get colds around this time of year - crappy but true. I used the broth powder from some ramen and drank that last night without the noodles. It obviously wasn't a "meal" but it was soothing and made my throat feel better!
ReplyDeleteI like the old musicals idea! I should see if there are any on Netflix. Wouldn't be too surprised if there were. :)
ReplyDeletecolds suck! at first your throat kills then that goes away and then you can't breathe out of your nose and its runny! ugh
ReplyDeleteHaha yup! My throat still hurts a bit but I'm more in the gross runny nose phase now. Fun!
ReplyDeleteI usually stay in bed watching reality shows that my husband hates and don't want to watch with me .lol
ReplyDeleteHaha! Seems like a good use of the time. I usually just make my BF watch the reality shows with me and ignore his whining though, lol.
ReplyDeleteIf I think I'm getting a cold or have a lot of mucus, then I drink two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water. It is really intense and kinda gross, but it really works. Being a singer, I do not mess around if I start to feel like I'm coming down with something. Also, my neti pot helps out with congestion. This may not be the type of answer you were looking for, but I don't stay sick for long if I get sick. Along the lines of what you're really asking...if I do get really sick, then I like to listen to books. The only time I don't read them but just listen is when I'm sick.
ReplyDeleteThe AVC and neti pot definitely counts as a ritual. I don't have a neti pot but I may try the vinegar thing - I've done it before for indigestion, and it tastes a bit weird but is still drinkable. I have some in my cupboard so worth a shot, right?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely worth a shot! Sometimes I take it as a preworkout to wake me up if I'm feeling tired before I go to the gym.
ReplyDeleteAww feel better! I'm big on hot fluids.. Esp if I have a sore throat, all I'll eat is ramen and congee and drink green tea, ginger tea and hot calamari juice (if I'm lucky). And then nap all day on the couch =) sometimes a shot of whiskey helps too =)
ReplyDeleteAww-feel better!!! When I was young my dad would buy me popsicles, so when I get miserably sick now that's what I eat. Especially the sharp, tangy ones that you can taste even if you're unable to taste anything else. yum
ReplyDeleteI'm definitely on board with hot fluids. Haven't added whiskey into the mix yet, but it might happen if I have trouble sleeping again tonight. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! Popsicles are a good idea. I feel like milk contributes to congestion, but the fruity ones that are like 90% corn syrup are the perfect cure for a sore throat!
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time accepting when I'm sick, and try to use the time off to work on other things, which usually doesn't help lol. I'll definitely down some tea (Throat Coat is the best for itchy throats) and probably watch YouTube :)
ReplyDeleteI definitely try to push through and work on stuff that isn't too physical when I'm sick, but sometimes I just get too drained and take a nap. I don't think I have Throat Coat, should probably add that to my arsenal of teas!
ReplyDeleteHope you feel better soon! I lure the dogs into bed and have a mug of Lemsip (bane of my existence), usually after trying and failing to catch up on my gaming or make (or heat up) soup. I always end up surrounded by warm fur and cold noses and snoring, which never fails to make me feel good. My ritual now is pretty similar to what it used to be when I was a kid, only with 200% more dog.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Lemsip doesn't exist here. We do have Theraflu, which is similar except with extra drugs for maximum drowsiness. And now I'm wishing I had some Theraflu instead of boring old cough syrup.
ReplyDeleteOh no I hope you feel better soon! Being sick is never fun :( Personally when I'm sick with just a cold I usually have to live with it and continue going to school, otherwise I'd have to make-up work, which no one wants to do. I make sure to drink lots of water and to try to sleep more. I actually just had a couple of days where I thought I was going to get a cold since I woke up with my nose and throat feeling awful, but I dressed really warmly those few days and it seems like the danger zone has passed... I hope.
ReplyDeleteTheraflu. Apple Cinnamon, preferably. Or the Honey Lemon Chamomile. Definitely the night time versions. It's back in stock on the shelves and I nearly cried with happiness. It's been gone awhile and being sick has sucked without it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was home sick from school, I used to make myself Cream of Wheat with way too much butter and brown sugar.
ReplyDeleteNowadays it's a giant mug of tea with juice of a lemon, big glob of honey, and preferably fresh (candied will do and doesn't go bad) ginger. And maybe some rum or whiskey in the evening. ;-) If it is a singing week I practically mainline this stuff.
Honestly, because I'm always on the go, bed rest is the best medicine for me. One or two days of good rest are better for me than anything else!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Being sick when you're a student is the worst. It's just too easy to fall behind, even if you only miss a couple days. Hope your icky throat feeling doesn't turn into an actual cold!
ReplyDeleteI did not know of this Theraflu shortage. I've actually never bought Theraflu that I can remember, which is weird because I used Lemsip (similar product) like crazy when I lived in the UK. My sore throat is mostly done now, but if I get sick again I'm totally Theraflu-ing it up next time!
ReplyDeleteMmm, ginger sounds nice. I used to get this powdered ginger and honey hot drink mix from the Chinese market ... wish I had some of that right now!
ReplyDeleteHaha yeah, I think rest is probably the best cure too. OTC cold remedies make me feel slightly better in the interim, but to actually get over an illness I usually just need to sleep and drink a lot of water.
ReplyDeleteAw, hope you're feeling better! I'm always a big fan of tea, lots of rest, and some Netflix binging on the couch!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm a fan of tea and Netflix binging on the couch anyway, so it won't be hard to convince me. :)
ReplyDelete