I may have finally learned how to start taking it easy at the start of a cold! Ususally I push through, as a form of denial and some deeply embedded (and somewhat surprising) work ethic. This time I did the right thing, which meant trading a few days worth of 5-6 hours commuting for more sleep and actually getting more done at work from my home office. The world did not end. I got better quickly. Who knew?
Category: Food & Health
Just Another Meal
I have learned that while I love Family Dinners, and always have, it’s also really nice to just have something to eat and call it good.
[Drive-up] Window of Opportunity
The time to check your order is when you are at the window. Once you drive away, you may be stuck with sugar (yuk!) in your non-fat iced latte and there is nothing you can do about it except get back in line and who’s going to do that?
So take a minute and do the quaility check in that one and only window of opportunity.
I Can Do Nothing
On this day, I did what I should have done a week or more before this, and spent the entire day in my nice cozy sunny (sometimes) living room, relaxing, reading, watching old movies and getting well again.
I wasn’t sure I could do it. But I did it. And it paid off.
Prescribe Nothing
SO many of my Lessons Learned are about what NOT to do! So now I know not to tell other people, no matter how much I love them, which over-the-counter remedies to take.
What helps me sleep with a cold just might keep another person up all night, even if it worked for him the previous night. Whoops. Sorry!
Do Less
Let’s see if I can make this one stick: When sick, do less! Much less! I was so happy to feel better, but I got carried away with my new strength, and then paid for it the rest of the week.
Well, at least I get another shot at getting better! This time: less!
When To Say NO
My new colleague Danny Quinn, not to be confused with my dear friend Dannie Quinn of 30+ years and long-time parcipant of this blog, tells me:
“Never eat a day old Taco Bell taco that was left out overnight”
Lessons are everywhere!
Low Tech Remedy
Jenn C, who is fighting a nasty cough, heard two different people recommend the same solution for sleep in the same day, so she tried it and it worked for her!
She put Vicks Vapor Rub on her feet at bedtime, then her socks, and then slept better and got more rest than she had in weeks.
What do you think? Have you done this? Why would it work? As a reflexology-related effect, as Jenn suspects?
BYOF
Yes, Bring Your Own Food. Particularly when traveling. No, just all time. And definitely if you are someone who gets cranky/insane when overly hungry. Just have healthy snacks around. Pack them in pockets and nooks in bags. There is no downside to this.
Wanted: Clue
I have learned that I really have no idea if I am hungry or not, unless I am starving. This is another of those things I keep learning again and again. The Game On Diet ( http://www.thegameondiet.com/ ) has provided an interesting structure for me (and the other dozens of players in my round), but on the “day off”, I’m left to my own clueless cues, lost in the land of “what can I eat now?”.
So what’s the answer? Keep a structure in place, such as this one, forever?
What did you learn today?
Jane's Lessons Learned 