sick - Mind, Body, and Soul Care (erin jean warde)
As I laid in bed, delirious from the lack of sleep, I thought, “Of course I got sick… my body always eventually demands rest, after asking politely and being ignored.”
sick
On Saturday August 26th, I felt like I had an attack of gross allergies.
Narrator: But it was not an allergy attack….
Nope, I was sick. And after multiple COVID tests, it wasn’t COVID either — I got some sort of heinous cold/flu. And I’m still trying to deal with the cough!
When I said I was ~going back to basics~ with this series, I did not expect to do this so literally. As I laid in bed, delirious from the lack of sleep due to hacking cough (did you know sleeping propped up by 3 pillows is not my preferred way to sleep?), I thought, “Of course I got sick… my body always eventually demands rest, after asking politely and being ignored.”
My body always eventually demands rest, after asking politely and being ignored.
I have shared fairly openly about my struggles with rest and self-care, especially since the passing of my sister Hazel, and this struggle with rest and self-care inspired our fall program. Yes, I’m sober, but I’m still — and will be for the rest of my life — discerning how I want to care for myself in mind, body, and soul.
And over the past few weeks, my body has taken me back to the true basics — the basics of just trying to not be sick. So, for our first post, I want to share some ways I’m trying to heal from my sickness and care for my immune system. These aren’t revolutionary, but you know what? I forget them all the time. ALL THE TIME. So I’m not acting like you need this wisdom from me, I’m simply offering the gentle reminder… because I needed it.
DISCLAIMER: I am many things, but I am not a doctor, lol. I highly encourage checking in with your doctor if you have questions about anything related to your health, and doing your own research. Check contraindications with everything. I’m just sharing stuff that is working for me!
Because the cold/flu this year is NASTY and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. I’m going to share some things that are helping me heal, in hopes this might be a good reminder to stock your cabinet with healing tools, to prevent or recover from the most basic challenge — the challenge of being sick.
Note: I highly suggest looking for any and all generic items you can find! <3
STAY HYDRATED. I know this is so, so simple, but it’s vitally important. (I am talking to me!) I’ve seen judgment against people who use flavoring packets in water, but I LOVE water flavoring packets, because they help me drink tons of water every day — and you know what? That’s hydration. If you like plain water, drink plain water! But some other ways to get hydration include:
Nuun — My favorite water flavor tablet, because it’s a light flavor, low sugar, full of electrolytes and minerals, easy to travel with, and it makes your water a little fizzy. My favorite flavors are Strawberry Lemonade and Wild Strawberry.
Gatorade Zero — I like these powder flavor packets because they give me electrolytes, are easy to travel with, and they’re sugar free.
Herbal tea — What a great, healthy way to stay hydrated. My favorite of all time is Yogi Egyptian Licorice Mint. If you’re dealing with a sore throat, check out Traditional Medicinals Throat Coat.
Airborne/Emergen-C — I’ll list these later too, as a general tool for immunity, but these supplements also add a splash of flavor to your water!
Sparkling Waters — It’s hydration! If that encourages you to drink water, so be it.
IMMUNITY BOOSTERS. Again, might seem obvious, but I was NOT taking these, and look at me!
Emergen-C — This is a classic immunity booster, available in everything from a power to a gummy. And now they make them as CRYSTALS? Because sometimes I’m sick but I want pop rocks?? No matter what option you choose, it’s a good boost of immune support. All forms are fairly easy to travel with, but the Healthy Pop Rocks and gummies seem to be the easiest for travel, because I don’t even have to have water.
Airborne — Similar to the above, Airborne is another brand to look for if you’re seeking immunity boosters.
Vitamin C & Zinc Supplement — Right now I’m inhaling Emergen-C and Airborne, but I am going to begin taking vitamin C & zinc supplements daily just to try to keep my immune system going strong.
COUGH. My cough has been such a struggle, here’s how I’m dealing with it.
Fisherman’s Friend Cough Drops — Listen, if you’ve never had one of these, it is… an experience, lol. I can’t explain it, but hold onto your hat.
Ricola Berry Medley — I absolute hate the original Ricola flavor, so I swore off them for years, but always loved that they were herbal. Thankfully, I really like the Berry Medley flavor!
Honey — A spoon full of honey before I go to bed has been super helpful for me. I personally hate cough syrup, so this is what I use instead. (It clearly tastes better…)
Humidifier — I was DAYS into my illness before I remembered I had one of these! I use it non-stop and it is helping me out immensely. I have the Vick’s brand, but grab whichever one is accessible to you.
Vick’s VapoShower — I love these shower tabs, which I use with a very very hot shower, to clear out my sinuses.
Eucalyptus Oil — When I’m not showering with Vick’s VapoShower I’m bathing with Epsom salt & eucalyptus oil.
Nasal Rinse — I use Arm & Hammer Simply Saline to add more moisture, which can help prevent that nasty dry cough.
TheraFlu — I don’t take this for very long, but the mix of pain reliever, antihistamine, and cough suppressant was super helpful before bed in the early days of my illness. Plus, it’s a hot beverage, which is always good.
REST & EMOTIONAL HEALTH. No one is more upset than me to mention that illness can be connected to our emotional health and very obviously, rest. When we are chronically stressed, it affects our sleep and our immune system. That’s what I meant when I said my body will eventually demand rest. I know that saying “care for your emotional health” and “rest more” is no small order, but it has to be mentioned. If there are any small ways you can relieve some stress, some moments you can steal away to care for yourself, THEY DO MATTER. The small moments always matter.
One take away from this week would be to reflect on the following:
What are some small ways I can care for my emotional health?
What are some small ways I can try to rest?
I suggest coming up with a list of options — all very possible, all very doable in your day to day life — and picking one to do each day. That way, these practices can adapt a bit more to the reality of the day.
(Spoiler alert: As the series continues, we’ll talk more about ideas for small daily acts of care.)
Every facet of health is interconnected, mind, body, and soul, so to care for the fullness of our health, we have to consider all these facets. But for me, the first step forward lately has been the most basic — try to heal from illness (and try to prevent getting sick again, as much as one can.) You might not be sick, but you’re still starting an intentional journey into mind, body, and soul care. So, for your reflection…
How are you starting this journey?
How is your mind?
How is your body?
How is your soul?
I’ll be back next week with our next step forward. In the meantime, I hope you can care for yourself and rest. <3
With love & care,
EJW
Mind, Body, and Soul Care: A Journey Back to Early Recovery
Continuing next week, I’ll be sharing my journey back to the basics of mind, body, and soul care with the paid community here on Substack. This journey will be our programming for the fall.
I’ll be sharing different practices and ways of thinking about my recovery that helped the first time, which I will be practicing once again, as I seek healing in mind, body, and soul. Life happens — and all the coping skills in the world don’t change the fact that sometimes we just need to fall apart — but it never hurts to have some ways to care for ourselves on standby.
This fall in the paid Substack community, you can expect something along the lines of:
setting up morning and evening rituals
bullet journal ideas for tracking & goal setting
affirmation practices
building a First Aid Kit to support myself when I’m struggling and need to cope
how I’m trying to practice sleep hygiene
my relationship with my phone (it just always comes up I can’t help it lol)
joy practices
what I’m doing when I’ve got an itch to numb out, feel triggered, etc.
how I’m trying to sit with my challenges
how it’s going (it won’t be perfect, you know!)
lots of sharing different resources that are working for me (you can take what works and leave the rest)
… and more
This post is offered to all subscribers, but moving forward, this will just be for my paid community. Subscribe today to journey with us!
As always, if you think this could be helpful for you but you can’t afford a subscription, reach out and let’s figure it out. I always want my work to find the people who seek it, such that money doesn’t withhold care. <3