December 4th 2020

Wednesday September 17th 2014

So many people forget how much worse they could have it.
I am not immune to doing this anymore than others.
I however have used some of these strategies for years.

Many times I have been asked how I can stand my disease(s)
Sometimes it is all in the way you deal with the symptoms.

10 Ways to Stay Positive When You’re Sick

An article I read again today, reminded me how easy it is, when we’re ill, either from a passing cold or a long-term disease, to slip into the emotional dumps. BUT it’s not necessary to feel blue while your body is healing. 

In fact, many studies show that the brighter your mood the faster you mend. No matter if someone who has had four colds this season, gets migraines sometimes, or is surviving a bout of cancer and chemo, there are simple ways to stay up when my body’s down. 

1)      Remember: Your Body Is Sick, Not Your Brain. 

I’m all for deepening the mind-body connection, but it’s crucial to let the stronger one lead the dance. I remind myself that I’m not required to feel sad just because I’m sick . I divide my sympathy between physical aches and pains and emotional ones. You can be in pain and not suffer, or at least not add to the external suffering with a “poor me” monologue in your head. “Try to feel the pain. Feel it all the way, so much so that you can’t feel the pain.” It was bizarre thing for someone to advise, but it worked. AND it changed my life. It’s a very Buddhist way of leaning into reality.

2)      Take Sensory Care. 

The normal defenses a well person has against visual, auditory, olfactory and other kinds of clutter are pretty defeated when you’re sick. Your energies are consumed with getting better, not filtering. This makes it all the more important to be in a tidy, clean space that smells pleasant (or at least clean), sounds peaceful, and looks nice. Even if you can’t control all of those things, do what you can with your immediate little sick nest. Ensure that you toss the pile of tissues, make the bed (even if you’re in it), get the dishes in the kitchen, wipe the tables down, etc.

3)      Ask Yourself: Does This Have Good Energy? 

It’s not about a value judgment, but it usually works out that some things bring us up and other things bring us down. Years ago I came back from months at a yoga retreat and ended up giving away half my books–I looked at each one and asked myself, Positive or negative? When you’re sick, your energy is already low, and you don’t have energy to waste on artificially “cheering up.” So make sure that the DVDs, TV shows, books, magazines, people, and anything else you encounter brings you up more than down. For example, no “CSI: Special Victims’ Unit” marathons until you’re better.

4)      Eat Clean Food. 

In addition to boosting your recovery with nutrition, eating well while you’re sick will ensure you don’t have the added “food guilt” mood baggage of pigging out while not exercising. In other words, go for the comfort foods like soup, pasta, cereal and save the Haagen Dazs pint and Krispy Kremes for another day.

5)      Drink Plenty of Fresh Water. 

It will not only hydrate you and flush what needs flushing and keep your cells in optimal fighting shape, it will help your brain counteract negativity. Our moods are very dependent on proper hydration and it’s easy to forget to drink when you’re in nap-and-mope mode. It is physically essential and emotionally nurturing. Chemo centers encourage drinking obscene amounts of water, as it not only keeps you less toxic but helps make you feel more in the flow and connected to a natural, healing element.

6)      Look at Beautiful Things. 

The park or your backyard, once started on your recovery, will give you many beautiful things to look at and encourage your recovery from cold/flu/fever things. (like the first cherry blossoms blasting off their whites and pinks.) The fresh air is an amazing medicine, and the soothing visual massage, so gentle when we allow their beauty to permeate our being. In bad weather keep some beautiful things nearby when you’re ill. A bouquet of fresh flowers, your fluffy kitty, or a picture of a gorgeous place that makes you happy.

7)      Bathe Daily. 

The dirty (har) secret of sick days is that most people think, “Well, I’m sick, I’m not going anywhere, no need to bathe.” But even if you’re just going to roll back into bed, first roll into the shower. Use your favorite soaps and potions, visualize the water rinsing the sick off of you. The skin’s cells actually release little endorphins upon contact with warm liquid. Let those give you a boost, plus you’ll come out feeling much more shiny and new–if still snuffly and achy.

8)      Change Your Clothes Every Day, and Make ‘Em Pretty. 

Again, even if it’s just your sheets looking at you all day, you’ll feel 100 times better in a fresh pair of jammies. I’ve also recently either mended or tossed my “loungewear” no matter how beloved. (with rips, stains, and other signs of run down disrepair) It’s amazing how I can identify less as a sick person when I’m in clean, attractive clothes, and more as a person getting well or just relaxing. A good trick for the brain. 

9)      Don’t Isolate. 

It’s especially easy for those who live alone to disconnect from the outside world when they’re sick. Do your best not to let that happen. Call or email friends and let them know you’re not feeling well; they’ll check in on you. Open to receiving their love while you’re at it, don’t automatically turn down offers of soup and juice and company. Let yourself be nurtured, it will help along the healing process.

10)   Laugh. 

There’s a grain of truth in it. Laughter does release happy chemicals into our bloodstream, it uplifts our spirits, it gives us a reason to live, something to look forward to. 

So much of getting well is about imbibing joy into our minds and our cells. Our bodies may or may not take the hint, but it certainly can’t hurt to give it something to work with.

Medicine can only do so much if the rest of you has just given up.

I guess that is my trick.

This is me.

This me after spending over a year+ in the hospital.

This is my go to picture.

This is the day Judy found out I could come home.



I do not focus on the loads of worse photos. 

This one reminds me of how lucky I have been, and continue to be.

Good night.