Feel Better!

After my last post, I figured I'd do something less depressing or sad this time. I am a daily "Facebooker" & almost every single day I see at least one comment about someone not feeling well. While some of them do annoy me from time to time, (GUYS, I'm mainly talking to you! Some of y'all need to toughen up!) I usually do feel sympathy for the person. I realize not everyone gets to go through all the fun stuff I do & that what can seem minor or silly to me can be Hell for another person. Sometimes I'll comment on these statuses but a lot of the time I don't like to b/c I feel like I'm being all, "Ohhhh, sorry you feel bad but listen to what I went through.". So, I thought I'd make a list of some of the things that make me feel better. Next time you're feeling under the weather, see if one of them (or more) works for you. Hey, it's always worth a shot. And remember, if it lasts for more than a couple of days and you're running a fever, don't ignore it!! (MOM, I'M TALKING TO YOU!!) Go to your physician and get checked. Always better to be safe than sorry!

1. Heating Pad~ I don't think I could live without mine. Not only does it help out when I have an achy back or a stiff neck, I've learned it's great for phantom pain! (it's an amputee thing)
2. Take a warm/hot bath~ Soaking in the tub for 20-30 minutes always makes me feel better. It's great to relax muscles & again, it helps with my phantom pain!
3. Watch a movie or TV show that you REALLY get into~ It will help take your mind off of the uncomfortable feeling. I always love when there's a Criminal Minds or Golden Girls marathon on. They usually have Criminal Minds marathons every week on A&E and Hallmark channel shows 2 hours of the Golden Girls every week night, 10-12. Can you tell I use this method often?
4. Read a good book or a magazine~ This is something I do pretty much every single day. If you're like me & really enjoy reading, it's so easy to get lost in a great book or a favorite magazine. When you get lost in something like that, your mind gets off of the pain.
5. Do something or talk to someone who makes you laugh~ 1 of my favorite things to do when I feel down or blah is get on YouTube & watch some of the videos on there. There are some HILARIOUS videos out there in cyber world! I hate to admit that my favorites are of animals or someone getting hurt! (I know, I'm evil!) Also, I'll talk to my mom or stepdad b/c we usually laugh when we're all around each other. (think The Brady Bunch minus all of the kids except Marsha!) Laughing releases feel good chemicals in your brain and those chemicals help ease pain!
6. Do a little online shopping/window shopping~ This is something else I do almost every single day. Now, you don't want to actually buy something every single time b/c then you're going to end up with a whole new set of issues!
7. Take a nap or go to bed early~ When you're asleep, you're not feeling pain! Nuff said! (well, I'm sure on a sub-conscious level you do, but you get the point)
8. Sit outside & soak up a little sun (unless it's Summer & it's 115 degrees out like it gets in Memphis!)~ Of course, make sure you put on a little SPF if you plan on sitting outside more than 15 minutes. We don't want wrinkles or skin cancer! The sun helps our bodies make vitamin D & we definitely need it! If you're like me & don't get outside as much as you should, it's always good to take vitamin D supplements.
9. Journal/Blog~ Getting your feelings & frustrations out & onto paper helps you.  This also works if you're upset w/ someone!
10. If all else fails, you can always call or message me!!~ It's easy for me to be sympathetic towards pain... if it's real, genuine pain! (Again, men, I'm mainly speaking to you. You guys like to deny it but take it from me, you're all mainly wusses. There's a reason God decided we'd be the one to give birth! And believe me, as often as I see guys gripe about being in pain from dumb stuff, i.e. ingrown toenails, paper cuts, hangnails, bruises, etc., the majority of you guys couldn't make it in my position!)

(This picture & the 1 above are both pictures of some of my "get well" goodies from when I was in the hospital.)