When You Are Sick, Rest.

If you want to live a longer, healthier life, one important habit to develop is the ability to say no. This comes in especially handy when you’re not feeling well. If your body is in the process of fighting off a cold, healing a wound, or fighting an illness or chronic disease, then it needs rest. If you don’t rest, your body won’t have enough energy to heal. One way to rest is to just say no to all some of those things that life calls you to do each day.

Granted, there are certain things you can’t avoid unless you recruit someone else to do them for you—for instance, taking care of the children. It’s pretty hard to say no to a diaper that needs changing or a toddler who needs breakfast. Maybe you have a friend, neighbor, or family member you can call on to help you when you don’t feel well. Don’t wait till you’re sick to find someone—just as you’ve probably made a plan for hiring a babysitter in an emergency, make a plan for getting help when you’re sick.

If you adopt the healthy habits you’re learning about in this book, you won’t get sick often. But when you do, getting well should be a top priority, and learning to recognize the first signs of illness is vital to avoiding illness. In our society, when we don’t feel good, we’re pretty much expected to pop a pill and go on about our business. That’s not a very healthy way to take care of our bodies. Some signs to watch for include unusual fatigue, sweating, chills, heightened sensitivity to temperature, excessive thirst, loss of appetite, or unusual muscular discomfort. When you start to get sick, immediate rest may be all that’s needed to stop the illness in its tracks.

If you’re not well, don’t hesitate to take a day off from work. I know that this can be difficult, especially if you work for a small company that may not have someone to cover for you, or if you do a job that no one else can. However, it makes no sense for you to go to work sick, possibly exposing others to your illness as well as making yourself sicker.

If you feel ill, your concentration and productivity won’t be up to par. If you continue to push yourself, your illness may drag out for days, ultimately costing the company more than giving you a sick day would have. Stay home, rest, get well fast, and get back to work. It’s the economical choice.

Many patients tell me they can’t afford to take a day off for illness. I understand that some companies don’t offer sick leave or sick pay. Make it a point to stash a few days’ pay, just in case you get sick and will have a smaller paycheck because of it. If your company does offer sick leave and sick pay, use it when you need to. Don’t go to work sick because you’re saving your sick days for a vacation.

Clear your calendar of any nonessential tasks and concentrate on your health. When you stay home sick, make sure that you behave like an ill person. That means rest. Don’t try to catch up on all those projects around the house you’ve been putting off. Don’t take work home with you to do while you lie around—rest means resting your brain as well. Stay in bed all day. Sleep late. Lie on the couch, read, or watch TV. Baby yourself. Don’t exert yourself—save your energy for healing. Rest is essential to getting well fast.

Don’t let your family intrude on your down time. Explain that you need extra rest, and stick to it. Have other family members do your usual household duties. Take time off from any sports you play, or any exercise that you normally do. It makes no sense to work out when your body needs to be putting all its energy into healing.

The act of getting well requires a talent for saying no to the world. Cultivate it. It’s important to know when to put your health first, and to be able to stick to it. It’s an attitude and a habit that might come in handy in other areas of your life.