Being ill is a horrible thing at the best of times, but what is even worse is when you are ill away from home. Whenever I am ill I tend to spend the entire day in bed to make sure I rest and feel better as soon as possible. But actually, sometimes this isn't the best remedy. If you're living away from home, or on a year abroad, it's important to get better at your own pace in order to ensure you really are better and can enjoy the rest of your time away.
- Feeling sorry for yourself is always a good start. If you feel so ill and tired that you can't even get out of bed, then don't! Make a trip to the kitchen and stock up on fluids and try to make yourself some hot food. If this is too much of an effort, always make sure you have a good stock of soup in the cupboard so you can heat it up within 5 minutes and return back to bed. The key to getting better is to drink lots of fluids. Water and hot drinks such as green tea and soup are usually the best things.
- Try to distract yourself from feeling horrible. If you have a TV, watch one of your favourite films or TV series. If you don't have a TV, maybe put the radio on, and if you have a headache and all the noise is too much to handle, try reading that book you've always wanted to read but never had to the time too. Being ill doesn't have to be the worst day in the world!
- Tell your friends and family that you are ill. Sometimes there is nothing better than hearing words of comfort from loved ones who feel sorry for you and want to cheer you up and make you happy. There is nothing wrong with a little attention from others when you're ill. We all want a bit of attention, and there is no better time to get it than when you are suffering from a runny nose, sore throat and headache. Who knows, they might even be willing to travel and visit you with lots of "Get Well" presents like your favourite chocolate bar, magazine or comfort food.
- When you do arrive at a new place where you will be staying for a few months, make sure you know exactly where the nearest pharmacy is, and if you are in a foreign country, it might be best to translate a few useful phrases before you visit such as "My throat is sore", "I am allergic to..." etc. It might seem a bit of an effort, but trust me, you will be happy to have these useful phrases written down before you start asking for a cure.
Essentially, when you are ill, the best thing to do is pamper yourself. Take a long hot bath or shower, stay in bed all day, watch your favourite things, eat and drink plenty, open the window to let some fresh air in and before you know it, you'll be feeling fantastic again.
Language level
