Sick & living ALONE

Getting sick is no fun, but it can be especially challenging if you live alone.

Here are some tips on how to take care of yourself when you’re sick and living alone:

• Stay home from work or school. This will help you to rest and recover, and also prevent you from spreading your illness to others.
• Get plenty of rest. Aim for 8-10 hours of sleep per night.
• Drink plenty of fluids. This will help to prevent dehydration, which can make your symptoms worse. Water, clear broths, and electrolyte drinks are all good choices.
• Eat bland, easy-to-digest foods. Avoid greasy, fatty, or spicy foods, as these can upset your stomach. Good choices include soup, toast, crackers, and bananas.
• Take over-the-counter medications to relieve your symptoms (after consulting with your pharmacist 1st, just take a walk to the nearest pharmacy and double-check beforehand). Decongestants can help to clear a stuffy nose, and cough drops can help to soothe a sore throat.
• Monitor your symptoms. If your symptoms get worse or don’t improve after a few days, see a doctor.

Simple Easy-to-Cook Foods for When You’re Sick and Living Alone:

When you’re sick, the last thing you want to do is spend a lot of time in the kitchen. But it’s important to eat nutritious foods to help your body recover. Here are some simple, easy-to-cook foods that are good to eat when you’re sick:

• Soup.
• Boil water with lemon peel (to get rid of cough)
• Boil thyme (to get rid of cough and phlegm) and keep your throat moist.
• Toast is a bland, easy-to-digest food that is good for an upset stomach. You can top it with mashed banana, or peanut butter for extra protein and nutrients.
• Bananas are a good source of potassium, which can help to prevent dehydration.
• Apple sauce. Apple sauce is another easy-to-eat food that is good for an upset stomach. It’s also a good source of vitamin C, which can help to boost your immune system.
• Yogurt is a good source of protein and probiotics, which can help to improve your gut health. It’s also easy to eat, even if you don’t feel like cooking.

Home Natural Remedies for When You’re Sick and Living Alone:

In addition to over-the-counter medications, there are a number of home natural remedies that you can try to relieve your symptoms and boost your recovery. Here are a few ideas:

• Ginger is a natural anti-inflammatory and nausea reliever. You can drink ginger tea, or chew on a piece of fresh ginger.
• Honey has antibacterial and antiviral properties. You can add honey to tea or yogurt, or take it by itself.
• Garlic has antibacterial and antiviral properties. You can add garlic to food, or take it in supplement form.
• Lemon is a good source of vitamin C, which can help to boost your immune system. You can add lemon to water or tea, or gargle with lemon water to soothe a sore throat.
• It’s important to stay hydrated when you’re sick. Drink plenty of water, clear broths, and electrolyte drinks.
• Getting plenty of rest is one of the best things you can do to recover from an illness.

Psychological health:

Make sure to take this aspect into account because your recovery will be much faster when you take it into account!

• Illness is difficult in general, let alone illness + feeling alone! You can have a Zoom call with someone you love or watch your favorite movies/series to raise your dopamine level and reduce your feeling of loneliness (this is an unhealthy solution in a normal situation, but if you are sick, let’s break some rules)
• Treat yourself to your favorite sweets or favorite food, for example (if this is an option).
• Encourage yourself with an incentive, for example: If I can regain my strength within two days, for example, I will reward myself with a trip to the mall! Or I will buy myself a new piece of clothing!
• Allow yourself to take a break, meaning: Don’t think about work/study/family/financial responsibilities, etc.! Allow yourself to take a break from all of that “completely”.
• Avoid thinking too much about “Why & how did I get sick?” Thank God/the universe for the blessing of permanent health and illness as well, and accept the reality.

In the end, remember that illness is your body’s way of telling you that you need rest, whether physical or psychological, so please listen to your body and rest.

With love <3