Beyond the soup

How many people currently reading this are or were sick during the first week or so of school?

A lot, I would bet.

Just as we wrapped up a wonderful three week break filled with (hopefully) relaxation, family time and no homework, we were greeted back to school with new classes and new schedules. As if that wasn’t enough, many of us were also welcomed with runny noses, sinus headaches and coughing.

That’s cold, cold.

A quick search on the Internet tells me that there are nearly one billion colds globally per year. That’s a lot of nose blowing and Vitamin C chugging. It’s one thing to get a cold when there’s nothing important to do – it’s another when you’re being introduced to new people within a new environment. That stress, combined with your body combating the cold, makes for a terrible feeling. And while it’s easy for some people to say “get extra sleep,” we’re college students. Many of us are up at 8 a.m. and putting off our homework until late at night. It’s what we do.

So, with that, here’s my opinion on how to best handle a cold during school:

1.Drink a lot of water.

This one is important. It’s pretty easy to keep your body hydrated no matter how many classes you have. Bring a water bottle to each one and just keep sipping on high quality h2o. The hardest part about this step is having a full bladder, but hey, no pain equals no gain. 

2.Don’t exert yourself.

If you get invited to an intramural sport, pass. If you get invited to go running, pass. Keeping physical activity to a minimum will help your body to use the energy it needs to recover from a cold. 

3.Keep stress to a minimum and stay happy.

With a boatload of homework, it’s hard to stay stress-free. However, keeping stress to a minimum by staying out of stressful situations you don’t need to be in can keep your body feeling better. Plus, minimizing stress leads to maximizing happiness, and if you’re happy there’s a chance you can keep your mind off of your cold.

4.Listen to upbeat music.

This one goes with number three. Staying positive through a cold is crucial. Don’t get down about not feeling well if you can help it.

That’s about it. If you’ve got some ideas of your own, feel free to share them with people. Just make sure not to share your germs as well.