14 WAYS TO STAY POSITIVE WHEN YOU’RE SICK

Positivity is pivotal for happiness and healing. So, here are 14 ways to stay positive when you’re sick:

1. Don’t let your sickness reach your mind.

Do not let illness define your mental well being. The more you think about your sickness, the more you will feel sick. You can be in pain and not suffer, or at least not add to the “I’m sick” internal monologue in your head.

Keep your mind engaged with things that intrigue you and make you happier.

2. Limit your media intake.

It’s seriously damaging to our mental health and mood, to be absorbing unnecessary amounts of negative and low-energy conversation. There’s a heavy amount of fear circling at the moment, and it’s very hard to not get caught up in. Fear will not change the situation. It will weaken your fight against the situation. Protect yourself as much as you can from conversations, environments and technology that will engulf you in these frequencies.

Being completely absorbed in the media during this time, will do you no good. There are very few people who can spend hours and hours in front of negativity, without feeling the impact. If you’re feeling a little low in mood, limit your media intake to 10-15 minutes at the end of the day to receive updates.

3. Get lots of sleep.

More sleep = a happier person. People who sleep between 8-9.5 hours during the night, tend to wake up happier.

Emotional resilience is the ability to recover from setbacks and keep moving ahead. Doing that doesn’t come easily to everyone, but you can build up your capacity to bounce back with your health, by establishing a plan that includes adequate sleep.

When you’re well-rested, you’re less on edge – which makes it easier to manage tough feelings like anger, fear and sadness when they arise. Emotional awareness offers a huge opportunity to live your best, healthy life, and sleep is a chance to honor conscious and subconscious emotions.

4. Take sensory care.

Visual, auditory, olfactory, and the normal senses that a person possesses, are overwhelmed when you’re sick. All your energies are used in getting better, not filtering out. This makes it highly important to be in a tidy, clean space that smells pleasant (or at least clean), sounds peaceful, and looks nice.

If you have the energy, make an effort to clean the room, or ask someone to do it for you. Try to maintain silence. Don’t strain your brain and eyes by binge-watching a series. Quiet is key to recovery.

5. Eat good food and hydrate.

Eating healthy foods, boosts your recovery and mood. What should you eat? Eat light, energy-rich foods of your liking. When the body is busy healing, you must not strain your digestive system.

Another important thing to do is drink a lot of fluids. Be it electrolyte water, plain water or juice. Being dehydrated throws off the delicate dopamine and serotonin balances in the brain, natural chemicals that can increase/affect depression and anxiety. One of the fastest and easiest ways to improve your mood is by drinking a glass (or two!) of water. Getting hydrated can quite literally calm your nerves, while flushing toxins from the body.

6. Look at beautiful things.

The joy of life lies in the beauty around. Anything that’s beautiful can brighten the mood. That’s why visitors often take fresh flowers to a hospital. The beauty and fragrance of flowers helps in healing.

Go through old photos, look back at fond memories, chat with a close friend, and make sure you are getting good vibes only.

7. Take a bath.

People often avoid bathing when they feel sick, not realizing that a simple bath can change their day.

A warm bath makes the body feel fresh and light. It reduces pain and inflammation, reduces the levels of stress and anxiety, and improves the mood instantly. Research says that bathing can diminish feelings of depression and pessimism.

Bathing is a great combination of isolation, quiet, and comfort which also boosts creativity. A hot bath with Epsom salts will help draw out toxins, and is one of the simplest remedies you can DIY at home. Adding essential oils like lavender, orange or eucalyptus, can help soothe the body and calm the mind.

8. Change your clothes.

Often times, when we get sick, we roam around like zombies. Shabby clothes, hay-like hair, dirty bed sheets and a cluttered room…these will make you feel worse.

Changing your clothes and washing your bedding, is crucial for hygiene during sickness. Changing clothes also makes you feel fresh. Wear light, comfortable, clean clothing. The better you look, the better you will feel.

9. Write down 5 things you’re grateful for every morning.

Positive breeds positive. Doing this in the morning, gives you an incredible head start to having a positive day.

It’s more difficult to have a bad day when you start the day expressing gratitude. Whenever you feel yourself getting grumpy, frustrated, upset, worried, overwhelmed, annoyed or just plain worn out, thinking of all the good things in life, can help you overcome these “heavier” feelings… instead of wallowing throughout the day.

You’re able to shift your mindset to a more positive, clearer “big” picture, instead of getting caught up in the small details.

10. Cry it out.

While most of the people around you say “don’t cry,” crying actually induces the process of catharsis that releases the repressed emotions, in turn making you feel light and relieved.

Crying helps to cope. Research says that crying helps in healing emotional trauma. It relieves stress and reduces pain. It is also proven that catharsis is very effective in treating anxiety, panic, depression and insomnia.

11. Get lost in music.

Find solace in music. Even if you are alone, even if you don’t feel like getting out of bed, turn on some soulful music. Music therapy is proven to be a mood booster, that also quickens the process of healing. When you listen to music, it actually increases the production of serotonin, oxytocin, and other hormones that largely affect your mood.

12. Create a “Bucket List.”

When you make a list of all the things you’d like to do, this activity may be a springboard to becoming more aware of what’s really important to you. When you start thinking about what you really want to do, you can find perspective on how you are currently spending your time, and on what you’d like to be doing.

The tie and energy for things that really matter to you, aren’t eaten up by the time you put into the things that matter less. Making a bucket list can help you remember what you value the most.

Nothing gets creative juices flowing like a good brainstorming session. Creating a bucket list, can help you tap into the creative part of you that dreams bigger, nurtures your inner child, and makes life more worthwhile. Once you’ve put your creative side into play by creating the bucket list, your everyday self can stay inspired to put those dreams and plans into action.

13. Practice mindfulness.

Being mindful means being more fully aware of what is around you – what you can see, hear, touch and taste. And what is happening inside – your thoughts and feelings. It’s about learning to observe all this, but not getting caught up in thinking or worrying about it – so you’re able to choose what you then attend to.

Mindfulness has been shown to help us be healthier, less affected by stress, more relaxed, more creative, more open to learning, sleep better, improve our relationships with others and feel happier and more satisfied with our lives.

14. Relax.

For more than a decade, researchers have studied how quickly wounds heal in people who are relaxed, compared with people who are stressed. Their results have generally shown that the calmer and more supported you feel, the faster you will recover.

There is clearly a connection between our emotions and our bodies. We know that our thoughts and feelings evoke physiological responses, and that strategies to decrease stress and negativity can strengthen our immune system and help prevent illness and boost recovery. Of course, most of us do have stress in our lives, especially when we are ill. Adding some mind-body healing strategies — such as meditation, guided imagery or progressive muscle relaxation — may also be helpful.

Wishing you great health and happiness!!