It's finally flu season! It's around that time in the school year where everyone on campus is getting sick, especially if they live in the dorms. It's hard to take care of yourself while being sick at school, but here are some coping mechanisms to get you on the path to feeling better!
1. Drink lots of tea with honey.
Photo by Jessica Mangano on UnsplashDrinking tea always soothes my throat whenever I'm sick and adding honey will only help! Every kind of tea has its own personal benefits for you, so you can never go wrong with a cup of tea while sick. Different teas provide you with different nutrients, and the more nutrients your body has, the better it will feel. My personal favorite flavor of tea is vanilla honey tea.
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2. Get a good amount of rest.
Photo by Isabella Fischer on UnsplashSomething my dad always tells me when I am sick is that "sleep is the best healer." I have to say, in my experience of getting sick, making sure that I am getting enough sleep has always helped in my process of feeling better. One thing to be careful of is to be sure that you aren't getting too much sleep because that could opposite effects.
3. Make an appointment with the health center or at a doctor's office.
Photo by Alexandr Podvalny on UnsplashIf you don't feel better in a couple of days, it is best to either make an appointment with the student health center or your doctor's office, or go to a local Urgent Care to see if you can be prescribed any antibiotics to help you get better. The important thing to remember about antibiotics is to also take probiotics to balance it out and to help you boost your immune system in the future.
4. Stock up on soup and crackers.
A lot of times, being sick also means having a weak stomach, so eating light foods like soup is always the best route to take until your stomach is strong enough for more solid foods. Also, try to eat toast or crackers with your soup to help settle your stomach.
5. If you are able to, go home.
Finally, staying in the dorms may be one of the factors in your lack of healing. If a parent can come and get you, or if there is any way for you to go home, you should take advantage of this. Don't worry about missing class, if you email your professors and/or have a doctor's note, they will most likely be understanding.
