Things to Do While Recovering From a Flu

Getting the flu can be a real hassle. When it’s flu season, there’s only so much you can do to prevent yourself from catching it. And once you do, you’ve no choice but to confine yourself to lots of bed rest. But like every hindrance we run into in life, all we have to do is remain positive and who knows, you might even find opportunities while you’re at it.

I am recovering from the flu as I write this. The first time I felt that I was about to get sick, my mood turned foul, thinking of the days I’ll be missing at work and the tons of things I have to do, my productivity as a writer ruined, my reacreational activities put on hold… However, as the days passed, I realized that it wasn’t so bad after all. If anything, it was the break that I neeed from such a fast-paced lifestyle. Here are somet of the things that I did:

1. Let your imagination run wild. Work usually impedes any chance for us to work on our creative endeavors. In my case, I make sure that I use all my free time to work on my ideas for writing, as well as how to nurture my relationships with people. Having the flu gave me all the time I needed to unwind, unplug from the office environment and list down ideas and churn out articles consecutively.
2. Connect with people. Unless you live alone (don’t spread the virus by doing house visits!), staying home to connect with people you care about most such as your parents, siblings or significant other is another upside to having the flu, as it gives you more time to interact and really connect with them. Sure, we have weekends, but they’re usually spent doing something else (like going out, heading off somewhere else, etc.), right? At least being confined to your home would force us to remain in that state of mind where we actually bond with the people who matter most.
3. Look inward and reflect. Having all the time in the world naturally makes your mind roam free. Putting aside all the things that are acting on you such as demands from work, family and your creative pursuits, why not have some quiet time to yourself and listen to your inner voice? Have you ever thought the things that you’ve always wanted to do but never got around to doing? Are you doing the right choice, sticking by your job? What are the things that you truly value? It’s amazing how I realized that I’ve been experiencing cognitive dissonance in terms of what I want to do and what I’m spending most of my time doing at work.
4. Read. It’s a great thing, having so much time to read and not be distracted by the things happening around you. With busy and fast-paced lifestyles such as mine, I rarely get the chance to really sit down and absorb the material that I’m reading.
5. Go slow. Slowing down can do a great deal to your state of mind, as well as physical health. Deciding to go slow once and for all relieves a lot of stress, just because of the belief that in life, there is actually no urgency. Wake up slow, cook your food slowly (go organic, for Christ’s sake!), clean the house slowly, do single-tasking instead of going crazy doing several things at the same time, take the time to experience every single thing fully.

All these I was able to do, with of course, a positive mindset and a goal towards living a healthier life. Perhaps these are also the very things that will prevent me from catching the flu next time!