3 Lessons I've Learnt from being ILL

Let's face it, nobody loves getting sick

Cold and flu are inevitable parts of life and when you get either of them, it's never fun.

Yet as I have grown more self-aware, I start to take note of the lessons in the tough times as much as the good. As I am writing this blog, I am full of a snotty nose, I have a headache, blocked sinuses and a cough. It certainly makes for a fun evening when you're trying to sleep through all of that.

From that however, I have taken note of 3 keys lessons, which I am going to share with you now.

Lesson #1

Being sick always reminds me that it's ok to slow down and rest.

My life is active and on the go most of the time, which is exactly how I like it but, with that comes the guilt when I do need to stop still.

In society, we love to shame people for being lazy, sitting around doing nothing. When in reality, stopping still is good for you. It's in those moments that we can stop and appreciate the life around us. In particular, when your body is feeling run down, it's good to allow it time to recuperate and recover from whatever is in your system. I've been full of a cold, which has impacted my sleep and therefore left me feeling drained and a bit out of it. Despite wanting to go to the gym, I decided to stay at home and chill with my other half, whilst watching a film.

You know what, I enjoyed every second of it and I woke up Monday ready to move by body once again!

Lesson #2

Your body is not invincible, so you must look after it as much as you can.

Look around you, and you will see thousands of people abusing their bodies daily and they are proud of it. We've bred a society that encourages binge drinking, taking drugs, lack of exercise, popping medication all day over, eating to feel good and moving often.

Now I'm not having a go at anyone, but it does I do find it baffling when people would rather take a pill than make a change in their life.

If being ill has taught me anything, it's that I am not invincible and I can get ill so, it is MY responsibility to look after it. We only get one body and one life, so we need to so it the love it truly deserves. So, this weekend, I drank plenty of water, got in my fruits & veggies and allowed for rest when it was called for.

Lesson #3

I realised how grateful I am for the body I have and the love I put into it. Now, I was being smug a few days before because my other half was ill (for like the 3rd time in 3 months) and I hadn't come down with anything. In typical fashion, I of course then came down with the same symptoms and I wasn't so smug about it ha-ha! Yet through it all, I felt grateful that this was as bad as it was going to get.

I only had a cold, which wasn't fun, and my nose is so sore, but I was feeling well in myself, and I was still up and about. Plus, it presented me with the opportunity to slow down, rest and check in with myself.

Gratitude is one of the highest forms of energy you can step into and it's so damn powerful.

Have you been ill recently?

As we move into the autumn and winter seasons, the cold and flu viruses are spreading like wildfire, like they normally do. Have you noticed this? Maybe right now, you are suffering with a cough, or a cold, or both. If you are, I want you to put your phone down, turn off any distractions and just sit there for a minute or two.

In this time, I want you to see what lessons you can take away from this moment. Maybe, it might be the same as the ones I just listed, or maybe you will have your own lesson to learn.

If you are feeling ill, I hope you have a speedy recover back to full health.

Now,

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