Sick Days

I woke up feeling as if I had been hit by a bus.
My throat was scratchy yesterday, but I feel like fire scorched my throat and hurricane sized rain clouds shoved themselves into the 6 inch diameter of my skull. My nose is dripping, and I’m certainly not what anyone would like to see at work.

Sick days don’t exist in retail. Fortunately, our co-workers all support one another in understanding there are no delegated “sick days”, and it would be worse to the whole team for me to be present versus absent.

Calling out is hard for me. Stopping is hard for me. It is damn near impossible. With work scheduled at 11 am, for a long evening shift. I still showered, dressed, made my hair, and made a bowl of soup. It wasn’t until I called my manager to update her on my health, and she said, “No! Gross! Stay at home!” Then I accepted that I needed to rest.

So, part of this post is going to talk about my prescription for self-care and healing.
The other part of this post is a kick-butt Cold-Kicking Soup Recipe, and other tools for your Cold Curing Toolbox

Your prescription for a cold:
– Lots of water.
– Juice with Vitamin C – Orange Juice is my go to, but I also like a good berry juice like GoodBelly!
– Soup because it has veggies with vitamin C, cleansing greens, and fluids
– Tissues (Try using old boxers cut in squares instead of wasteful Kleenex)
– Essential Oils. doTERRA OnGuard (immune boosting and anti-bacterial), Oregano (anti-fungal and intense), Peppermint (breathing and relaxing, also anti-bacterial)
– Herbs. Elderberry, Ginger, Echinacea, Goldenseal Tincture (I use HerbPharm Rapid Immune Boost)

– Tea. Ginger, chamomile, lemon, echinacea, honey. Whatever, just tea! If you need caffeine, I would stick to green, because black can be less soothing.
–Rest. I know it’s hard, but grab a book, your Kindle, or your favorite blog, and sit your butt down. Let yourself fall asleep. Let yourself wake up when it wants to. Maybe journal a little bit. This is the most important part of self-care. Giving you self as much space and time as it needs for nothing.

So this was my day today:

6:30 am. “Geez! I feel like poop. Do I have to be alive today? Yes, you do! Now get up.” Drinks water. I’m pretty sure it all just drained straight out of my nose.
7 am. I have laundry that needs to get done. “I’ll make a load and then make some soup, because I can sip on that through out my day”. Take a dropperful of HerbPharm tincture.
8am. Laundry is almost done, soup is simmering. I am being productive, but literally making trips from a chair to sit down and breathe, and then getting back up to do my tasks.
8:30 am. Meditate. Sitting on my bed with eyes closed, back hunched, and head heavy I focus on the mantra, “I am healing.” Thoughts of doubt and voices say, “Actually, I feel closer to dying” are echoing softly, but I focus on this mantra of healing.
9am. I still feel like death. Now that my laundry is done I can shower with my warm towel out of the dryer. A little bit of self care. “Maybe this will make me feel better. Warm towel is a bonus.” Put drops of peppermint in the shower, and rub on the back of my neck and chest in the shower.
9:30. Call my boss. Leaves a voicemail with my voice squeaking out and rasping through mucous, that I probably should come in, but I will plan on being there on time if I don’t hear back. Just want to give a heads up.
Get dressed, do my hair. My skin looks surprisingly good for how awful I feel.
Take OnGuard and Oregano in a warm cup of water. Drink. Enjoy the burn of the Oregano.
10am Soup is done. Sit and attempt to eat the soup, but my nose keeps dripping.
My roommate says, You sound awful! You shouldn’t go to work.
My boss calls and says, “No! Gross! Stay at home!”
10:30am Pajamas, fold my laundry and make my bed with clean sheets. Take another tincture of medicinal herbs. Drink more water. Call my mom, because it’s nice to hear someone care about you feeling like crap, and my mom does that well.
11am – Diffuse OnGuard by my bedside. Reading blogs and journaling, and falling asleep.
Sleep and rest.
3pm – Wake up. Drink water. Blow my nose. Eat more soup. Stretch because my whole body is sore.
5pm – I still don’t sound good, but my head feels better. Take some more herb tincture. Eat the last of my soup. Find new people on Instagram to Follow. Update my resume.
8pm Write a blog about being sick.

Kick-butt Cold-Kicking Soup Recipe

• 1/2 Large White Onion, sliced thick
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 Bell Pepper, Yellow or Red
• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Tbsp Butter, Grass-fed
• 3 Carrots, Chopped in 1/2″ to 3/4″ pieces
• 1 qt Vegetable Broth, Low Sodium
• 1 tsp Himalayan Salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup Red Lentils
• handful of chopped parsley

1. In Medium Pot, heat oil on medium heat. Add Onions, Garlic, and Peppers. Toss to coat and saute for 3-5 min until onion start to tender.
2. Add Carrots, salt, spices, and butter. Continue to stir to coat, and saute for another 5 minutes.
3. Add Vegetable Broth. Bring to a boil on medium high heat. Add lentils Let simmer at low boil for 10- 15 minutes.
4. Add Parsley. Cover and reduce heat to low-medium for at least 30 minutes.
5. Relax. Enjoy. and Heal.

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu. May all beings everywhere be happy and be free.
Blessing of health, wellness, and freedom from sickness.

Take care.

 

 

**Please advise that I make a small profit for some of the items promoted and mentioned in this post. However, all of these products, affiliated or unaffiliated, are items I choose to add to my personal routine of wellness, diet, and health.