Have you ever said to yourself “I don’t have time to be sick?” 

But then you find yourself, stuck in bed, the thermometer rising and your heart sinking as you realized you are going to lose days to whatever bug has decided to inhabit your body. Take heart, even your uber-healthy health coach has been there.

That’s why today I’m going to share with you some tips I recently used to shorten your feverish down time and rebound more quickly.

How To Avoid The Sick Bed In The First Place

Rebounding more quickly starts with prevention. I know you know that, but I also know how hard it is to do anything about it. I used to be that person who didn’t have time to be sick. That was until I got really sick (that whole MS diagnosis thing). Once that happened, I was bound and determined to never get sick again, even with the smallest cold.

Of course never getting sick is unrealistic. While my track record has been sick-bed-free since that 2009 Christmas present, it’s inevitable that something would eventually bring me down.  It arrived one Monday with great fanfare.

Fever. Aches. Pains. Chills. The whole shebang.

Being self-employed, the idea of having time to be sick is unthinkable (and seriously, who does have time to be sick?). I had clients to support. I had people to teach about juicing. And here I was writhing in bed.

Yet once in 3 years ain’t too bad.

You see, eating for more energy also means less time in the sick bed and struggling with fever.  So all that stuff I talk about – eat your greens, alkalize, eat whole grains, remove the dairy and other energy zapping foods – it also means fewer colds and flu. Fewer sick days.

The beauty of prevention, and my experience that even when the rare thing comes along and takes you out, is that you don’t end up losing a week. Instead, within 24 hours you are back on your feet and conquering the world.

If you don’t have time to be sick, take prevention seriously. Make prevention – nutrition, rest, exercise, stress management, connections and spiritual nourishment – a part of your every day plan. Remedying a fever begins with prevention. Your time in bed relates to the time you spend caring for your body and mind.

How To Reduce Your Fever And Get Back To Life More Quickly

Just 24 hours after finding myself curled up around a toilet bowl with dry heaves, I was teaching a juicing class. Honestly, on Monday I wasn’t even sure that was possible.  But a few key actions led me to rebound in record time and do my work in the world. Of course, I took notes and want to share these five things you can do the next time you are suffering from a fever.

1. Don’t suppress the symptoms. When you are feeling uncomfortable or downright awful, it’s easy to want to reach for fast relief. Yet when we use drugs to suppress the job of your immune system, you prolong the length of the healing process. As uncomfortable as it is, try to bear through the fever without medications. (NOTE: if your fever symptoms last more than 24 hours, or your fever spikes above 101, seek medical attention).
2. Reach for the washcloth. Growing up, I never understood why my mom put a wet washcloth on my forehead. Now I get it.  While it doesn’t reduce the fever, it makes you feel cooler and more comfortable while your body does its job. It really is better than anything over the counter.
3. Stay hydrated.  Your body is working hard to remove that bug. To keep your blood moving and to replenish the liquid you may be losing from those fever sweats, keep drinking. Water, herbal tea, broth, and coconut water are your best options. Stay away from the sweetened stuff.
4. Sleep. Your body is not the best multi-tasker. So the less you do, the more your body can focus on evicting the invader. That means it’s time for you to sleep. Do it. Turn everything off and close your eyes.
5. Get over yourself.  It’s easy to feel so important in your work that you believe your boss or your clients can’t live without you. I’m here to confirm that, yes, you are important, but get over yourself. They will live without you. I believe the work I do is life changing (my clients agree). But as much as I hated to, on that Monday I emailed my assistant and asked her to email my clients to tell them we would have to reschedule their sessions. I threw in a free session to make up for the late notice. Everyone was understanding. No one died. Everyone was happy for the example in self-care.

When I awoke Tuesday morning, the fever had broken. I was a tad weak but could walk the world as someone who was living. Knowing that people were counting on me that night, I took it easy that day. I answered email. I did no heavy lifting either physically or mentally. I allowed my body to recuperate. And then I taught an awesome class. By following these five steps, I found myself back to living my purpose.

Can you expect the same results? I can’t say. Each bug will run its own course, and your results may not be the same. But getting out of your own way, in this case, out of your body’s way, results in a lot less sick time and a lot more fun time. Let your body do its job.

What tips do you have for reducing a fever? Share them with us in the comments below.

With love, light and wellness,