Colds!

This week’s blog is going to deal with the self-care aspect of my blog. As everyone knows, the freshman “plague” is going around. I am lucky because I have a very good immune system and I usually do not get too sick, but I think I have a small version of it. It was sort of inevitable, but I am just grateful it is not too bad. It is important to take care of ourselves in general, but especially when we are sick.

An aspect from home that I miss is my mom’s cooking. Today was a major self-care day to deal with this “plague” before it gets too bad, and one of those aspects was getting Panera Chicken Noodle Soup from the Commons. Obviously it can’t beat my mom’s homemade soups, but it is as good as it gets in college. I heated it up in the microwave and just sat down and took some time for myself in the break between two of my classes. Food and drinks are an important way to deal with colds, so along with the soup I also bought some orange juice, as well as a peppermint hot tea. Herbal teas especially are really nice when you are sick.  Along with peppermint, some of the other best teas to drink when sick are chamomile, ginger, and green. So number one, I recommend drinking some tea when you are not feeling well, as well as orange juice with its Vitamin C. Number two, I recommend eating some soup, or another food that reminds you of home comforts because I know food is a big comfort for me.

Some more aspects that will also help include sleep and hydration. I know personally that college has sort of wrecked my sleep schedule. I was always a morning bird, and never a night owl. Here, I have been staying up later and waking up earlier. So number three, make sure that you are getting enough sleep. I always find it so funny when all of these studies come out explaining how important sleep is for people our age, yet we almost never get the amount of sleep that is necessary consistently. I know that I am someone who likes to get ahead of things and I am sort of a workaholic, but treat yourself once or twice a week, say that this is tomorrow’s problem, and go to bed earlier than you usually would so you catch up on some sleep. Our body is trying to fight off the cold, and one of the best things we can do to help is to rest. Number four, hydration. I know I never drink enough water. If I’m lucky, I will drink one bottle a day. However, hydrating, especially during a cold, is so important. It helps our body function, and it also helps loosen congestion. In general, I know that these are aspects that I will pay attention to more this week so I can get over this little bug. Make sure to take breaks for yourself…it is okay to relax and just focus on yourself while you get better.