Too Busy to Be Sick: A Wake-Up Call from My Body
I hate being sick. Every time I catch even the slightest cough, it feels like my entire schedule gets thrown off course. But this cold—or bronchitis, or whatever it is—is an especially frustrating setback. I don't have time to be knocked down by a sore throat, to waste hours shivering under a blanket, or to spend a single minute canceling plans. In my world, even a day of downtime can put me a week behind. I’ve got things to do, goals to chase, and I can’t afford to lose momentum for something as inconvenient as being sick. I’m constantly on the go, darting from one meeting to the next, with just enough time to suck on a cough drop between destinations and pray I don’t choke on it during my speed walk from point A to point B.
And then there are all the small, silly inconveniences that come with it—struggling to get a good night's sleep with a nose so stuffy I feel like I’m breathing through a straw, constantly reaching for tissues as I attempt to type one-handed, coughing during class and apologizing for sounding like I’ve smoked a pack a day. This kind of interruption cuts right to my core because I’ve got a million things lined up, and I’m a woman on a mission. The irony isn’t lost on me that I’ll push myself to the brink for my goals, but when it comes to my health, I don’t give it a second thought until I’m forced to.
But maybe that’s the point. As frustrating as this all is, perhaps this cold—or whatever it is—is my body’s way of reminding me to slow down and take care of myself. I’ve realized that in my relentless drive to do more, be more, and achieve more, I sometimes forget that I’m human. Being a go-getter, a woman on a mission, can sometimes mean skipping meals or going hours without a sip of water. I’m so focused on climbing the ladder, on improving myself, that I forget to appreciate who I am right now, at this moment.
This unexpected pause has forced me to take stock. When was the last time I made an effort to rest, to eat well, or to drink enough water? Somewhere along the way, taking care of myself got buried under meetings, deadlines, and goals. I push so hard to move forward that I never pause to just be still, to take care of the one person who’s doing all this hard work: me. This bout of illness is a reminder that I need to care for myself as well as I care for everyone and everything else around me.
In a strange way, being sick has reconnected me with my own humanity. It’s humbling to realize that, as much as I want to keep going without stopping, my body needs me to listen to it. Perhaps I’ve taken for granted that I can keep pushing myself indefinitely, but it’s clear that even the strongest, most determined person has limits. So, while I may still hate being sick, I’m learning to appreciate it as my body’s way of saying, “Hey, slow down. You’re human, too.” This may be a setback, but it’s also a reminder to nurture the person I am today, not just the person I’m striving to be.
