In Sickness And Health

Greetings. So, I’ve been really sick for the past couple of weeks and that is why I had been quite irregular in blog posts (just in case, anybody cares). Now, Most of us at some time or another have been sick. And, then we sometimes wonder about the deeper issues of life in sickness as we are unable to do anything productive.

I am going to share my feelings and thoughts that occurred to me in the realm of sickness. Every difficulty in life can be used as a teachable moment or it can help change you for the better. You may not always realize it, however, until much later. And, I realize how come I never gave myself enough time to think about them before.

1. Life is hard when you can’t breathe because of the common cold. Imagine other serious diseases! I stop living my life when I am down with the flu, which is chronic in my case. I already have like millions of breathing issues.
2. You accidentally punch yourself in the face when you try to pull your blanket up over and over again in sickness.
3. Your sick tongue craves best delicacies of the world and daydreams about it till the time you fall asleep.
4. You drop most of the things from your hand as they feel a little on the heavier side.
5. You want all the love and attention from anybody and everybody. You become overly sensitive to things. Don’t even breathe around me when I am sick.
6. You catch up on the leftover sleep and bid adieu to restlessness. Yass. It is actually quite calm and peaceful when your mind is at rest. You relax as best as you can.
7. You gather all of the things you want in the day. Tissues, More tissues, Vicks, Meds, Snacks, whiny behavior for the day and strength.
8. You take the time to think about the things that have been on your mind recently. You have those funny and deep conversations with yourself.
9. If you’re just feeling really tired and sick and don’t have the energy to be on the computer or start doing some kind of activity, you just lay wide on the couch or bed and take a loooonngggg nap.
10. You definitely don’t feel like taking a bath. I hate taking baths anyway in sickness. Take a foot bath if you can’t take a full bath, add bubbles or oils and soak. Ugh, too much work. Cancel.
11. Dream up your ideal milkshake/smoothie recipe. Which one is your fav?
12. Write in your journal. You draw, sketch, and listen to whatever you want (not too loud, though).
13. You look through old pictures and make fun of yourself and others.
14. You read a book or watch movies if your eyes don’t water enough in the flu and fever already.
15. Start planning what you’re going to do when you’re better! What else can you do?
16. Write out your dreams because you are literally sleeping a lot now. Get it? No? OK.
17. Try not to think about penguins and pandas – there you are smiling now aren’t you?
18. Explore on Google earth – check out your neighborhood, or you know, Paraguay or Paris.
19. Call up someone and speak for 15 minutes – just ramble and cough all over the phone.
20. Take a class from a world-famous university, from your bed, for free. I am doing it right now.
21. It is OK to not know what to say, how to act, or what would be helpful. Be whiny, dirty, nasty and sensitive little yourself.
22. It’s easy to be negative when you are sick.
23. The loss of feeling useful hits us pretty hard in sickness.
24. I’ve learned that self-compassion is difficult, but it is perhaps the most useful thing you can cultivate to help you in your life.
25. We learn to ask for help. Being able to ask for help (gracefully) is not only a great skill; it’s an essential tool for surviving in this world.
26. Despite its well-publicized pitfalls, social media can be used to lighten the mood, like any good friend, Instagram consoles me when I’m down, makes me laugh when I’m anxious and distracts me when the fatigue and pain are bad.
27. Being forced to take a step back from life clarifies what is important and what is not.
28. We realize how Relationships sustain and nourish us. They’re miracle workers that keep us lifted and grounded. The good ones are absolutely the key to surviving a life being ripped apart by illness. I’m grateful for the time to help me bring perspective to my priorities and to spend it on the people I’m lucky to have in my life.
29. Being ill has also allowed me to challenge the “cult of busyness” prevalent in the world. I used to pride myself on being productive, got a high out of ticking off a to-do list and had a genuine sense of pleasure and identity from “doing.”
30. Since getting sick, I have learned to just be for the first time in my life. Nowadays, I can sit still and not do a thing for about 15 minutes. Granted, this is partly because I’m exhausted, but it’s also a skill I’ve cultivated by overcoming my restless mind. And this “not doing” is a vital and productive form of recovery “work.”
31. Illness can be a nightmare sometimes, and yet, every day we also experience sweet moments of gratitude and perspective. I have learned to cherish the people in my life, love myself better and slow down and figure out what genuinely fulfills me and brightens my world.
32. Practice Empathy, Instead of Sympathy or Encouragement. Empathy is really helpful for maintaining the connection. Empathy fuels connection, while sympathy drives disconnection.  It is a “me, too”, rather than “that’s too bad”.
33. Small gestures mean a lot. A. Lot. This can be as simple as offering to help with some chores as part of hanging out – for example, maybe cooking some good food together so I have healthy meals that are easy to reheat when you’re exhausted and in pain. Or it might be a call to ask when you could drop by for a quick visit.
34. Sickness helps soften the hearts of individuals.
35. The human heart is inclined to be rebellious and hard. It is easy to criticize other people and to imagine that we are being slighted–and to think that some of our fellow humans don’t really care about our welfare. We tend to get calloused and to think that we alone are standing for the truth in life. And then we get sick! And when death stares us in the face, it is pretty hard to be proud and self-centered. And we get some cards, and some notes of appreciation–and we come to realize that many others do care–and that our feelings of disappointment were not really justified.
36. Sickness prepares us to empathize with others who are ill.
37. This world is filled with people who have aches and pains and sicknesses of various kinds. One of the greatest needs such people have is for someone who can comfort them and sympathize with them in their trouble. And the only way we can really learn to comfort others and to truly empathize with them as if we ourselves experience sickness.
38. Time is short. The things of this world will pass away. A few more joys, and a few more sicknesses–and all will be over. A few more storms, and a few more trials, and we will be traveling to a place where there is no more sickness, no more parting, and no more pain.
39. A little poem says: “For every hill, I’ve had to climb; for every stone that bruised my feet; for all the blood and sweat and grime; for blinding storms and burning heat–my heart sings a grateful song–these were the things that made me strong!”
40. Keep on Sharing Your Life! I really want to hear what is going on in your life –even the difficult parts and the successes. I care about you and want to celebrate your trials and successes. Hi5

Lovey Chaudhary

A communications major, academic researcher, author, sunset photographer, and hardcore marketing professional with experience of over 6+ years in the industry, Lovey is always looking up witty ways to address taboo subjects in a simple yet hard-hitting manner.

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