We’ve all been there: after facing a cold, the flu, or the most recent stomach bug to move through town, you’re struggling to recover from the time you’ve spent sick in bed. You’re simultaneously sick of being in bed and desperate to stay bundled up in your blankets. First, of course, you need to get better and return to your life, but the prospect is a daunting one. However, a few critical aspects of recovery can make the process easier—focus on these essentials, and you’ll be feeling better in no time.
1. Rest Up
You’ve spent enough time amidst pillows and duvets lately to realize just how important a good night’s sleep—and maybe a few days, too—is for recovering from this sickness. However sick you are of being in bed, that rest is essential. Getting a hospital bed and accessories can provide optimal comfort, thus, will help you recover fast.
With long-term illness, or if you’re feeling better and want to prepare for your next bout of sickness, you might even decide to upgrade to a full mattress with cozy memory foam or another material to get a better night’s sleep and recover more quickly. A good mattress can help you sleep more restfully and be ready whenever you need rest. You might even find your immune system benefits from your better quality sleep!
2. Follow your doctor’s guidance.
As a rule, your doctor’s professional medical opinion should be the utmost authority on your care. If your physician prescribes a particular medication, for example, you must head to the pharmacy, fill that prescription, and follow through with taking that medicine.
If you’re concerned about the cost, a resource like USA RX can provide coupons and discounts on necessary medications. Neither finances nor another constraint should keep you from listening to your doctor and getting the care you need, whether that’s an antibiotic or course of steroids.
3. Alleviate your symptoms.
Easing your symptoms is one way to get yourself feeling better more quickly. For example, if you have a troublesome cough, choose some medicine to relax it and sip on something like hot tea with honey to comfort your throat. If you’re facing fatigue, take advantage of that comfy mattress and let yourself sleep—your responsibilities will still be there when you wake up. If your doctor prescribed or recommended a particular medication to ease the clinical signs of your illness, this is the time to take it.
4. Fuel your recovery.
Your body needs the energy to get you healthy once again, and nutritious foods are the best way to give it the fuel it needs. Depending on your particular illness, consider the best foods to eat for that condition—you might turn to classic chicken noodle soup when recovering from a cold or the flu or bland foods like plain rice or toast when you’re dealing with an upset stomach. If you don’t have much of an appetite, try some broth or an electrolyte drink to fend off dehydration and offer your body enough to keep it going until you’re feeling up to food.
5. Take it easy.
In today’s fast-paced work culture, it can be hard to let yourself take a break, but that’s precisely what you need most when you’re sick or recently have been. As you’re recovering, and even once you’re feeling better, give yourself permission to ease back into a busy schedule at home or the office, leaving enough room in your calendar to rest when you need to and slowly make your way back to your standard functionality.
Being sick is quite literally a pain, but your recovery doesn’t have to be. With plenty of rest, the medicines your doctor recommends, and healthy food and drinks along the way, you’ll be on your way to a slow but steady recovery.
