Picked up a random poetry book From the crowded shelf. Quick easy hour read: Delight and wonder. Then, Found…
When Illness and Winter Blues Interrupt Your Life
In the winter, the common cold is more than just common, it is a nuisance most of us cannot avoid. If you are a teacher, or work with children, then you especially have a greater chance of becoming ill. The key is for you to know how to avoid the cold turning into the flu, pneumonia or something worse. Along with illness, a lot of us seem to have Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.
For the last two months, I have been subbing in a Junior High classroom. The flu and head cold virus have been running rampart through the building. So many students have been out sick that I have had to adapt my lesson plans to make sure all students keep up with the content. I prayed that I would not get sick. I also have been feeling blah (not interested in anything besides just doing what I need to do for my family), which is a direct result of SAD. My mom asked me last week if I have SAD after she’d seen an article about it from the Mayo Clinic, and I told her, “yes, that is me to a tee.”
Two weeks ago, I came down with sinus congestion. It has progressively gotten worse, despite my efforts to cure it with sinus rinses and over-the-counter cold medicine. Of course, I have been drinking lots of tea too.
Yesterday, I was giving instruction to my students, and during the course of the day my voice became diminished more and more. Ahhh! I talked to the school nurse and she told me to just keep doing what I am doing for home remedies. I went home and watched movies with my daughter. I went to bed when she did, and spent a lot of the night coughing.
I woke up feeling worse so decided to stay home. I am thankful to be able to rest, but still wish I would not have come down with anything in the first place. I have a hard enough time dealing with SAD that being sick does not help me at all.
What about you? Have you had a similar experience this winter? What do we do when the lack of sunshine is already wrecking havoc on our moods?
I have put together a list of articles to help give you some advice on being healthy. Let me know if you have any other suggestions! Resources:
- https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/wellbeing/a27380/natural-cold-remedies-actually-work/
- https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/eyes-ears-nose-throat/5-best-home-remedies-for-flu-treatment-backed-by-scientific-studies/
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20364722
- https://health.ucdavis.edu/welcome/features/20090211_healthtip_winterblues/
- https://www.healthline.com/health/food-tips-help-ease-winter-blues