It is officially autumn again. Autumn is such a beautiful season and so cosy. I can enjoy this season but there is one thing I don’t like about the colder months: getting a cold. Last Monday I woke up with a cold and that was the inspiration for this blog post. Because as soon I feel less fit, I take action. I almost drop everything to take care of myself. This doesn’t mean I stay home from work. It is not that bad and I think it is more of humidity in house problem. If you think that is also your problem, buy a moister absorber. In the colder months, I dry my clothes inside, but that is now affecting me.
9 tips for when you have a cold or fever.
Drink water
My number one tips are to drink a lot of water. Not drinking enough water can weaken your immunity and you want to have a very strong immunity to beat your cold. So fill a glass or even a bottle of water and drink it up. Water is very healing. Every time I feel a cold coming up, I drink more water to flush away the bad bacteria. And now I just believe that I drink enough water, I will feel better at the end of the day. And drink a little bit more than you would normally do, but be careful. Drinking too much water in a short amount of time can be toxic.
Wash your hands/hygiene
This is something we heard a lot about during the pandemic but washing your hands can help you to become less sick and you also protect others. Maybe it is also a good idea not to shake hands and come too close to others. You don’t want to make someone else sick. Also, don’t become too obsessed with this.
Rest
Maybe it is time to take a nap. If you are at work or school, go home. It is better to take a rest (especially when you think it will get worse) immediately and fight it off before you get sick. A good night of sleep is also crucial if you want to have a better Immune system. If you are one of those people who like to stay up late watching Netflix series, stop doing that because your sleep is way more important.
Eat lighter foods
Sometimes when I don’t feel very well, I don’t like to eat a lot of things. Of course, it is still important to eat something. You need those vitamins and minerals to fight off your cold. So eat something lighter. I would recommend eating fruit and veggies. A little bit of extra vitamin is good for you when you are not feeling well. So run to the supermarket and buy a lot of veggies and fruit.
Fresh air
This is also a great tip if the humidity is too high in your house. Open your window for a few hours. Air circulation is good and healthy. So open your windows and doors for a while to get some fresh air. Yes, it might be very cold outside but drink a hot cup of tea to keep yourself warm or do some house chores while you are doing this. Maybe you can do it while you are cooking dinner.
Ginger and turmeric
Sometimes you don’t have to buy expensive things from the drugstore to fight off your cold. Sometimes you just need a trip to the supermarket. Besides eating veggies and fruit, you can also buy ginger and turmeric. Use a little bit of it and let You can make a tea with ginger and turmeric or you just put a little bit in your dinner. Be careful that you don’t use too much because the taste can be overwhelming.
Vitamin c
Another way to fight off your cold/fever is to use a lot of vitamin C. You can get it from fruit and veggies. But here in the Netherlands, we have Vitamin C asperin and it works so well. I dissolve it in lukewarm water and it tastes like lemon water. But it works every time I use it. I bet there is something like that in your country too. Of course, I would recommend getting your vitamin C from fruit and veggies. I only use this when I am desperate and I need a quick fix.
Steam
If you want to get rid of your runny nose quick, use hot steam to clear your nasal passages. You can use a hot bath, which is a win-win situation. But if you don’t have a bath, you can boil water in a pot and just hang over it for a few minutes. Even a cup of tea’s steam can work. But honestly wouldn’t recommend that with a runny nose. If you use a pot with hot water, add some eucalyptus oil.
Keep yourself warm
When you are feeling sick, your body is focused on one thing: to fight off this fever/cold. And sometimes you will feel very cold. So try to stay warm. Use blankets, wear extra warm sweaters or make a hot water bottle to stay warm. This is also a great excuse to wear some extra fluffy socks.
Light exercises
This is not something you have to do, but if you want to get some exercise do some light exercises. Your body does not have to energy to fight off a cold AND do a full-body workout. Maybe you can find a 10-minute Yoga video on YouTube. Or if you want to get some fresh air, go outside for a few minutes.
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash