3 ms·
> A couple of times I think I was coming down with something, I slept for more than 24 hours with only pee breaks. And I woke up feeling fresh as a cucumber, as
by srl 6y ago
> A couple of times I think I was coming down with something, I slept for more than 24 hours with only pee breaks. And I woke up feeling fresh as a cucumber, as they say.
I don't really take sleeping that seriously in general, but I used to get sick pretty frequently (sick enough to not work, a couple times a year). Nowadays I have a routine, and it's not so different: if I feel a tiny bit sick, I go home, lie in bed, and order semi-healthy Mediterranean food (I have specific cravings when I get sick -- is this common?). I stay that way until I can't stand being in bed any more. I also avoid any source of stress.
The number of days per year when I'm sick has probably gone down by a factor of 4: I get properly sick half as often, and when I am sick, I get better much faster. Almost as importantly, getting sick is no longer "miserable" in the same way. It seems a substantial part of the misery of being sick (with something mild, like a cold or, at my age, flu) just comes from trying to do things you shouldn't try to do. Lying in bed and executing a nap/snack/pee/read loop... that's not so bad.
(As others in this thread love to point out, this doesn't work for people with bad sick leave, or stressful jobs, or single parents, and so on and so forth. That's a strong case for sick leave etc., as far as I see.)
- forgotmypw17 6y agoYes, I typically crave chicken broth. In fact, I know that if I find myself craving chicken, I'm probably coming down with something, and it's time to do what you describe above. I'm grateful to the sacrifices of all the chickens I've consumed over the years. May their spirits feel my gratitude and find peace in helping me.
- baby 6y agoYeah I have specific food needs when I get sick as well. Personally I used to be sick all the time until I met my SO. Having someone that makes you mentally stable is a huge change imo.
- hutzlibu 6y ago"I also avoid any source of stress." This very much. And I go crazy lying in bed for long, so for me I rather find a quiet spot in nature in the sun (or shade), even if I am quite sick. A river is perfect. And then just sit or lie for hours. But I live close to wild nature, so I could not do this if I would have to drive through some rush hour to get there.
- rconti 6y agoAgreed; I've worked hard to prioritize sleep in my life, though not to the extent that the parent poster has. But simply stopping, right now, and going to sleep for as long as you need, at the first sign of illness, will save you days of misery. Every single time I've said "well, I'll just go into the office and if I don't feel well, I can just head home midday", I've regretted it. It's too late.