Looking after yourself

Hello everyone,

Sorry I have not got a long and profound post this week; as I have alluded to previously I have been quite unwell for the past few weeks. This basically got me thinking about being ill and trying to keep up with your work.

I have had a cold which then turned into a mild virus infection which I am still recovering from now (at the moment I have lost my sense of taste and smell which is a bit depressing).

Therefore, for this post I thought I would write about the things to help you recover, especially if you have a dreaded summer cold, and you are away from home and you are stressed with exams.

1. Don’t be afraid to take a couple of days off to sleep and rest- your body needs it! This was the first pit-fall I encountered, I kept going into the office and doing work (probably not of a high quality) and wearing myself out, when what I really needed at that time was to simply rest and recuperate. This may have helped me recover quicker! Probably a good thing to do would be to do small burst of work in between rests but no longer than an hour at a time.

2. Increase your fluid intake. Make sure you drink lots of water. As it is getting warmer, you should be making sure you are fully hydrated. A good tip is that if you feel thirsty you are already 10% dehydrated. Make sure you keep sipping water periodically.

3. Increase your vitamin C and mineral intake. Oranges, banana and leafy greens are full of nutrients and will help your immune system combat that illness. Make sure you eat little and often to help your body ward of the germs.

4. Go for walks. This is good because it enables you to get out of your flat/ house/ halls and get some fresh air. This will help recovery and due to the nice weather expose you to some vitamin D which helps our immune system as well.

5. This is probably the most vital. Try not to feel guilty about taking some time to make sure you are well. Stress can inhibit recovery, so taking some time to get well will help you do well and be productive in the long term.

Sorry for the short post but hopefully I will be a lot better for next week’s post. Thanks for reading and take care.