How to Overcome Being Poorly!

We are finally getting to the end of flu season and I am so thankful. While I've never had the flu, I've had pretty bad colds and it's the absolute worst...right?! Today Rachel from RachyReviews is guest posting here and sharing some amazing tips to hopefully help you through this journey to overcome the bogged-down sticky patch and speed up the process of being poorly.

You know, the runny eyes, sore throat, tap-like nose, the inability to breathe due to constant coughing and spurting, and just feel so incredibly unlike you that you start to get yourself into some kind of funk, which admittedly is hard to get out of as you no longer recognise the person that is staring back at you when you look in the mirror, and just genuinely don't know where to put yourself.

Every spare minute that you once had is now spent under the covers and your favourite drinks are swapped for an ‘exotic’ variety of medicinal ones. When you're feeling this way then it's very easy just to 'let go' and let everything take it's course as it usually would. However, there are ways of not letting the bugs and germs get their way completely and these are the FIVE tips that Rachel is going to share with you today.

Stick the kettle on!
Drink, drink, drink. There is no such thing as too many fluids. So the more you drink, the better you'll feel. Simple, right? Well for some yes and others, well you'll be surprised by just how many people don't drink anything when they're going through their ‘poorly stage’ and their body just ends up going into shut-down mode. This obviously results in them becoming superly dehydrated, which is not something you want to add to your list of ailments when you're trying to feel better.

So, plenty of hot (or cold) fluids but try to avoid the more clouty of ones as they just tend to solidify all the bacteria in your throat (gross I know) and that is where your body will first fight infection so you want to keep that area as clear as possible.

My hot drink of choice is the PG tips Green Tea, as it's light, it still tastes like your regular tea (when it's warm) and it's totally refillable as the tea bag tends to last forever.

Wrap up, but not too much
Because your body temperature won't be regulating and functioning as it normally would, it's important to follow it's lead, however, remember that you need to be in control. When I'm feeling this way, then I will almost always take paracetamol (usage according to instructions) as that will help to combat the fluctuation and help bring the temperature down.

However, if you start to feel clammy and sweaty then just remove a layer and then if you are starting to feel the chill, then just wrap that extra layer around you. Common sense right? Again, this for me can only be helped by paracetamol and time I’m afraid, but if you develop some kind of rhythm then you'll find it gets easier as you go through it.

Stock up on supplies
Goes without saying, if you feel that first tickle in your throat or lazy-type head then you want to get down to your local store and replenish your flu-overcoming supplies. For me, this gives you the excuse to go all out and treat yourself (within reason) as you can have anything you want when you're poorly right?

For starters, you'll want to invest in some balm-infused tissues as let's face it, your nose is going to get some stick and something soothing and herbal infused is going to minimize the abrasion and the impact. However, don't just get one box, as if you become anything like me then it will only last you one night. You need a comfortable amount as you never know how severe it's going to be and if you have high-quality tissues on standby then trust me, it feels as though you're prepared for anything.

Another great thing to include on the medicinal list is Vitamin C, as it’s scientifically proven to shorten the duration of the flu or cold. Total life saver! Also, there are many ways it can be taken. In the form of drinks, fruit or vitamins. Personally, for me I really favour a long glass of pure orange juice, as not only is it incredibly soothing on the throat as it slides down, but it’s also the quickest way to get the much-needed Vitamin C into your body.

Some type of lip balm for your lips as during this time they're going to feel cracked, sore, dried out and very much unloved, this will help prevent that by putting down an intense barrier to protect them.

Lastly, don't forget to choose your favourite cough syrup as this is going to be your best friend, and trust me it's not abnormal to have gotten through a whole bottle in desperate times like these.

Wear your cozies
Pull out that snuggly dressing gown, don those fluffy pyjamas and pull up those fluffy socks, as you're not leaving the house anytime soon, and the fashionable attire for the week is allowed to be comfy and cosy.

Whenever I'm poorly this always gives me a massive boost in how I feel, as there's nothing worse than feeling under the weather. But when you're being hugged by what feels like a huge cloud then it takes away some of the uncomfortable-ness that you're feeling and makes it that little bit more bearable.

Moisture is key
So when you’re going through this dreadful bout of feeling sluggish, then your skin can easily reflect that. It can end up feeling dry, flaky and look incredibly dull. Which doesn’t help when you already hate the look of the person staring back at you in the mirror.

However, I have found that by concentrating on a good skincare routine you can soon start to overcome the slump that you’re in and at least make yourself look better which in turn will psychologically make you feel better.

My favourite at the moment is a combination of the Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream and the Dr.Botanicals Moroccan Rose Superfood Facial Oil which I just massage and press into the skin. And I just find this keeps my skin looking perky and full, whilst the rose properties help mask the redness and pigmentation in my skin whilst also visibly injecting some much-needed moisture into it. These two combined have well and truly been my skin saviours!

I hope this has been insightful and can maybe be used as a guide for those of you who are maybe not sure on what to do next. These can be your little helpful tick boxes which you can follow and hopefully feel massive improvements from.

These are just a handful of tips but I’m always interested to hear what other people think and know so please leave a comment and let me know if you have a get-well-quick secret, as we can learn together, help each other and I’m sure other people would desperately appreciate it. Also, don't forget to go and check out Rachel's YouTube channel and say hi!

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