Overall, I’m uber healthy. Occasionally, I feel just on the edge of being sick.

Unwell. Sick-ish. No on-my-deathbed kind of sick. No fever, wheezing, vomiting or runny nose. No oily discharge.

Just an overall run-down, yucky with a dose of nauseau, dizziness and occasional hot then cold kind of sick. Or… there’s a slight sore throat [or insert inconsequential ailment here].

Only on rare occasions do I actually get sick (knock on wood).

The problem is, I’m really bad at being sick.

Even my on the verge-of-sick is problematic.

Let me rephrase that: I suck at it. I whine. I sigh. I get angry at my state of un-wellness and anyone unlucky enough to cross my path. I post it on my Facebook page. I over-analyze how I might have ended up this way: Could it be the fact that we started using our water softener again after a couple of years of not using it at all? There’s been seepage in the basement—do we have mold? Yet, why just me?  Everyone else in the household is feeling just fine.

Other times, I wonder if I ate a tainted egg or ingested a food item that had long passed its expiration date.

My son will tell me to just go to bed and stop wandering around complaining about it.

It’s never good enough to accept that somehow, somewhere I picked up a germ and its having its way with me.

I was raised in a household where sickness was frowned upon because of our religion and, although I argued against the many discrepancies in this religion (no belief in doctors but yet dentists and eye doctors were acceptable. don’t ask.), some of its teachings must be etched deep into the membranes of my subconsciousness.

Side note: I have absolutely no patience or tolerance for others being sick. Fortunately, I have some nurturing cells that stowed away in my heart from the time I played with dolls. These I save up for my son (side side note: If it’s a school day, I immediately jump to the conclusion that he must be faking it just to get out of going to school). And cats.

Compounding my occasional sick-ish state? Night sweats (a big thank you shout-out to my reliable friend, perimenopause) to make things even worse, making it difficult to sleep and heightening my overall malaise.

Sickness shows us what we are. ~ Latin Proverb

I put myself on trial for not getting better fast enough, yearning to feel good enough to run outdoors.

I recently pondered how hard I am on myself when I feel less than 150 percent of my normal self and realized there can be a positive side to being under the weather.

In fact, I was able to come up with 7 benefits of feeling sick.

1. I don’t have to fold laundry, grocery shop or participate in other overly taxing chores. This is only a plus when someone is around to take care of it so I don’t have to get angry at the sight of things undone and the fact I’m unable to do anything about it. PS. Yes, to me, laundry is taxing. Folding sends shivers down my spine and makes my lips curl.

2. I have extra time to read for enjoyment. That means no politics, environmental issues or social injustice reading. Just inspiring, motivating or funny articles. I even channel surf!

3. I can goof around on the internet, indulging myself in pinterest, twitter and facebook with minimal guilt.

4. I get to watch our cats stalk the birds that frolick and search for food in the protective bushes outside our front window. They pounce, stopping just short of the glass. No matter how I feel, this makes me smile.

5. I’m forced to take a step back, slowing down to realize the many things I have to be grateful for in life.

6. I don’t get as edgy about my son not doing what he “should” be doing. He’s happier for it. A win-win.

7. I have a new subject (being sick) to write about with the downtime to write it.

8. In reality, I’m very healthy. And chances are, if you don’t feel well, there’s probably someone who feels a lot worse.

So that’s eight reasons, but seven is my favorite number so I went with that.

Regardless of all the upsides of not feeling good, I plan to feel better tomorrow.

Without fear and illness, I could never have accomplished all I have. ~Edward Munch

Bonus:

Listen to the latest episode of The Green Divas Health & Beauty podcast…

Tune in to The Green Divas Radio Show—and other green and healthy living podcasts—daily on GDGDRadio.com (or get the GDGD Radio app)!

 adapted from my post on elephant journal.

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