Today I was sitting in m cubicle, minding my own business (read: doing my work) when I hear someone hacking in the next office over. It was the kind that would make you cringe and reach immediately for hand sanitizer. It hurt my throat to hear it.
After 30 minutes of the constant hacking and my repeated attempts to pass on a cough drop to alleviate said hacking, the coughing offender did not relent. It made me think: when you are sick, there are certain things you should not do. One of those should be coughing on your co-worker.
Maybe my co-worker was not on her game enough to get inexpensive health insurance and visit her doctor (get yours by entering your ZIP code in the box above for health insurance quotes in your area). Instead she is coughing on me. In my anger (I’m a germ-a-phobe, i.e. germs creep me out, big time), I made a list of all the things you should not do while you are sick.
- Go to work. Let’s be honest, it gets all of your co-workers mad. If don’t believe me, look for their dirty looks. They will be there. Going to work when you are sick can also prevent you from getting better. Your body does not have time to rest and recuperate (which is absolutely vital to getting better), and your work performance can suffer. If you do not stay home, they might ask you to leave.
- Go to the gym. For the same reasons for not going to work, going to the gym while sick is another big no-no. Your body needs all of your energy to heal, not to burn calories. And the gym is a germ breading zone. With the hot moist environment germs can spread quicker than you can imagine. Also think about all of the sweat. (If you do not already wipe off your machine before and after you use it, do so now. You can thank me later.)
- Join a crowd. Anytime there are big groups of people in tighter quarters, it can be an ideal way for germs to spread. Imagine the group like one big Petri dish. Sound gross? Well, it is. So avoid them at all costs. In fact, most people should be avoided. You would not want to be the one that spread your germs to all of your friends.
The things you can do? Hit the sheets or visit your doctor. Rest is the best thing you can do to beat your virus. You can’t do that going to work, the gym or surrounded by people. The only other place that is good for a sick person- the doctor. If regular cold medicine just is not doing the trick, sometimes a trip to the doctor for a round of antibiotics is the only thing that will do the trick. Just make sure you send a friend to the pharmacy to pick it up. You would not want to spread any more germs, would you?