“I can’t be sick now. I have too much to do. I don’t have time!”
We hear this all the time at Student Health and Counseling. You have a paper to write, an exam to take or a ton of homework to get done.
“This is exactly the wrong time to be sick! Do something, doc! Fix me now!”
If only it were that easy. But the harsh truth is, sick happens. Germs are everywhere. They come in many forms and strains and get all of us at one time or another. The common cold is common.
During times of stress, you are even more likely to get sick. Stress stomps on your immune system, and viruses are waiting to take advantage of your weakened state. Just like computer viruses, they sneak in and wreak havoc. Unfortunately, however, modern medicine has not yet invented Norton AntiVirus for humans. There is no magic pill to get you instantly well.
But here’s where you hold the trump card. Your body can cure the common cold. That’s what your immune system is for. And it works! Miraculously, eventually, you will get well. But you have to give it time. You have to be patient. You have to pause, slow down, listen to your body and give it the rest it needs while it does its amazing cure job.
And maybe your body is telling you something else. Maybe you need to come up for air, take some time for yourself, get a break from the rat race. Maybe you are trying to do too much, and your body knows it. That paper isn’t going anywhere. The sun will still come up tomorrow whether you’re in class or in bed. The exam can be rescheduled. Life goes on.
In these days of instant gratification, instant messaging and drive-thru everything, we forget that our bodies are part of the natural world, which mostly doesn’t function in nanoseconds. Nature belies a quick fix. When you’re flattened by a virus, you learn the primitive truth. Sick happens. When it happens to you, take some time and take good care of yourself. You deserve it.
Dr. Peggy Spencer has been a UNM Student Health physician for 17 years and a Daily Lobo contributing columnist for three years. She is co-author of the book 50 Ways to Leave Your 40s. E-mail your questions to her at Pspencer@unm.edu. All questions will be considered, and all questioners will remain anonymous. This column has general health information only and cannot replace a visit to a health provider.
