Ways to Comfort Yourself When You Are Sick

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What do you do to take care and comfort yourself when you are sick?

I take care of people 24/7. I’m a mom, wife, and nurse practitioner. I am comforting sick people, bandaging wounds, and doling out advice on how to avoid getting sick in every aspect of my life.

Sometimes, though, it’s myself that I have to take care of. Moms, wives, and nurses get sick too.

Unfortunately, no matter what we do to avoid illness, the inevitable can still happen. Even after you have seen your primary care provider, get a diagnosis, and pick up your medication, you still just feel crummy! It takes a while for even the best medication to kick in or for your virus to run its course.

So, once you are sick, what can you do to make yourself feel better? 

When I was a little girl, I remember sick days being on the couch. We had a particular “sick blanket”, we used. It only came out when we felt the worst. I also have vivid memories of the house smelling like freshly washed laundry while I was lying there, drinking my Sprite, watching TV.

Here are the things I like to do to now to help myself feel a little better when I’m sick. Maybe they can help you too. (And if you are reading this, I feel like I need to tell you – I hope you get well soon!)

1. REST!
   Rest is really the best medicine. Whether you have a particular favorite blanket reserved for when you feel bad or not – get under your covers, tuck yourself in, and rest! Quit trying to do everything for everyone else! This allows your immune system to do its job and help fight your illness.
2. Drink a hot cup of tea.
   Or any of your favorite hot soothing beverage. There is something about the warmth of your favorite heated beverage to help soothe your throat and warm you up.
3. Eat soup.
   Speaking of warmth and soothing things, there is a little truth about chicken noodle soup making you feel better. So I make myself a large bowl of soup.
4. Take a hot bath.
   Sometimes, I like to soak in the bath with Epsom salt. (My absolute favorite bath salts are Mike’s Recovery brand, and when I’m sick I prefer the Immunity Pouch mixed with essential oils!)
5. Run a cool-mist humidifier.
   Getting a cool mist into the air helps soothe a cough or dry nose.
6. Use soft tissues!
   This is where I splurge. I buy the name brand, fancy tissues that have something special in them – like aloe. I personally like the Puffs with Vicks – it really helps open up my nose and helps me breathe a little easier. And they are super soft on my nose.
7. Wear the fluffiest socks and the most comfortable pajamas.
   Comfort is key if I am feeling bad! When I had my tonsils taken out (age 30!), a fellow nurse brought me the best pair of pajamas ever as a get well present.
8. Run an essential oil diffuser.
   While I’m not a fan of essential oils to “cure” things, I do like the essential oils to help with symptom relief. I find that eucalyptus being diffused into the air helps me when I have a lot of nasal congestion. It just helps me breathe a little easier and helps open up my sinuses.

We all have our favorite ways to comfort ourselves when we are sick. What is it that you do to make yourself feel better? Is it something your mom or grandmother always did for you?