Immunity Up, Instagram Out

tips and tricks for getting over a cold and getting off the 'gram

As the Christmas season ended, the flu season unleashed holy hell amongst the hardworking clerks of the PO. It was the perfect storm — a bunch of burnt-out helper elves touching all the holiday gifts, inhaling mail dust, and then coughing all over one another because postal work is the kind of job where you only call out if you’re actually on a stretcher.

So, yeah, I got sick. Bad. Like, I genuinely cannot remember the last time I was so thoroughly ill. Maybe when I had mono in my late teens?

But it’s okay. I survived. I will not let that place kill me. Or get me down.

Speaking of that, J and I watched Empire Records for the first time in a long while, and I’m pleased to share that it’s still so good after all these years. (His name isn’t Warren.) And Plowed by Sponge deserves to be on the soundtrack even though it isn’t. Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts.

Anyway, if you’re also fighting the flu or some other nasty bug, I’m here for you. This is a list of… things, for lack of a better word, that really helped me stay comfortable, boost my immunity, and recover faster.

Obviously, this is not medical advice. Please call your doctor and run all this by them before trying it. In fact, invite your doctor, nurse, or healthcare professional to subscribe. It’s free!

The Best Things to Help When You Are Sick

• Elderberry syrup — I make my own with a kit from Death By Tea, but you can buy it premade. It’s scientifically proven to reduce the duration and symptom severity of colds and flu, and it tastes great.

• Halls with honey — I usually prefer the citrusy vitamin C Halls drops, but my sore throat needed something more and these hit the spot.

• Vicks VapoRub — I don’t need to link it, you know what it is. Maybe I smell like a grandma, but this stuff effectively quieted my cough enough so I could sleep.

• Advil — Had to do it. I had a fever and can’t take acetaminophen (it makes my liver blow up). This also helped with the muscle aches.

• Twin Peaks — RIP David Lynch. Being sick for a week is the perfect opportunity to re-watch a classic.

• Sleepytime Throat Tamer herbal tea — J picked this up for me and it’s my new favorite. I brew a cup before bed and pop a spoon of honey in there for good measure.

• Humidifier — Every night I run this with distilled water and sometimes a few drops of essential oil like tea tree, lavender, or eucalyptus. Make sure to clean your humidifier regularly, let it dry out completely between uses, and zap any mold with diluted vinegar!

• Zinc — I take 50 mg before bed as a preventive measure. Obviously, it’s not a failsafe.

• Mucinex Fast-Max — I know, I know — this is not a natural hippy remedy. But you know what? It’s the only reason I was able to go back to work before burning through all my paid leave. J picked this up for me (he had to show ID because it’s the good stuff) and dropped it off at work last Saturday. I refused it because there was no way that I, a grown-ass woman, was going to swallow liquid cold medicine. Yucky, I said, return it. He told me it would be fine. Said it was mint-flavored, and not cherry like the red bottle suggested. He lied. It was cherry. And it was yucky. And it worked so well that I took the entire bottle. In recommended doses. Over several days. So, from one grown-ass woman to another, I say that if you need to get shit done, just suck it up and take the yucky cold medicine.

And that concludes my list! In other news…

I Deleted Instagram Again

The news has been crazy. Bad. I don’t want to rehash it here, but if you want someone to talk to over coffee, I’m ya girl.

Because of all the bad and the uncertainty and whatever, I deleted Instagram and WhatsApp from my phone for what was meant to be a week. And then, after a little more than a week, I started missing my people.

I reinstalled the apps. I tried login into IG, and there was some minor issue with not remembering my password.

I understand that resetting a password is rather simple. But, could this actually be a sign from the universe that I don’t really need to be back on Insta right now? That maybe my time is better spent writing blog posts and cultivating community here on Substack? Or reaching out directly to the people I miss and saying, “Hey! I love you! You’re great!” Isn’t that better than scrolling through ads from accounts I don’t follow that are pitching wall pilates and gut health? (Please let me know if this is what you see, too).

Do I miss the capybara content? Of course, I do. But it’s a price I’m willing to pay. Also, maybe I’ll just get a capybara! Or two.

Three.

Photo by Dušan veverkolog on Unsplash

Your Tarot Reading for the New Moon in Aquarius

And also the Lunar New Year!

Y’all, I’m not gonna lie — I wasn’t happy with my tarot card pull this time. I pulled the 3 of Swords, a notoriously difficult card I’ve definitely pulled recently. You can read all about it in the post linked below, as much of the same still applies.

Perhaps this week we can look to the 3 of Swords as a sign of healing and better times ahead. I know I could use some comfort and ease!

Thank you so much for reading! I love you!

XoLauren

PS - As I mentioned in my last post, I’m no longer accepting paid subscribers or Buy Me a Coffee donations. If you want to support my work, please Venmo me @Lauren-Steinheimer-1 instead (suggested $5 to buy me a coffee). Thank you! You’re great!