It is fricking cold outside - freezing in fact, and now I’m sick. I used to think little kids going to school was the main source of people transmitting illness, but now I think nearly every illness I’ve gotten in the last two years has come from visits to my parents. Ironic, that people who are obsessed with mask wearing are the ones spreading the illnesses.

I hate being sick, but I have a routine that will generally fend off all but the worst illnesses.

Firstly, lots of sleep. Sleep is how you heal. If not sleep, then rest. Relaxing music to keep the mood up. My soundtrack today is relaxing lofi beats.

Second, drinks and nutrition. I took a handful of zinc, vitamin C, echinacea, and elderberry along with my multivitamin this morning. Also drink lots of water, and hot drinks like tea with honey. I probably am not drinking enough. I also try to avoid coffee and dairy products while I’m sick; my body says these are good to avoid, so I do. Green and black tea is still ok though in moderation, but herbal teas are preferred.

Third, treatment. I have been gargling with salt water to fight off the sore throat. I’ve been using a Navage to flush my sinuses. I put on my CPAP this morning to keep my sinuses clear. The CPAP does surprisingly well at that job and really speeds recovery.

Fourth, keep warm and eat light. Your body wastes a lot of energy on various tasks - particularly heating and digestion. If you can avoid activities that make your body spend energy, you have more available for fighting illness. Cozy thick socks are a plus.

Fifth, go outside. You don’t want to rest more than you need. The quicker you can get back to moving, the faster your body recovers. Both movement and fresh air are really important. In any illness, physical or mental, you should rest only enough to prevent relapsing; but if you feel a relapse coming on you need to start resting again immediately. I think for me, it’s about time to go for a walk around the neighborhood.

No fever this time, I don’t think this is COVID. Just a nasty cold, and should be short-lived, but I still feel like my sinuses have been run over by a truck. Thinking spiritually, it may have been sent just to prevent me from going to lunch today, but that also may be my human nature to overfit for causal patterns.

Now I just have to hope that I don’t run out of propane today, although not having to move a full propane tank will be a bonus.