I’m sick. My head is all stuffed up and I have a sore throat. Poor me!

Laura and I are constantly observing how mind, body and the universe are connected. We’ve noticed that during difficult times in out lives (Peace Corps depression) we were much more likely to get sick. So why am I sick today?

Lately I have been struggling with my place in the world, feeling like I’m not progressing and have no direction. I have been dwelling on this negative thought rather than enjoying where I am or even making positive changes to go forward. Often when we are doing to much, not getting enough sleep, our bodies will get sick to make us slow down and get some rest. I have been getting plenty of rest lately, but my mind has been going in a million directions at once. I have been getting down on myself and life in general. I think my body said, “You want to cry? I’ll give you something to cry about.”

Please keep in mind, I am talking about small illnesses like a sinus infection or the flu, not cancer. These little illnesses are just enough to disrupt our daily lives and make us feel pretty miserable for a few days. But maybe they are blessings in disguise. Here are the steps I have taken to deal with being sick:

1. Figure out exactly what feels bad in my body: sinuses.
2. Notice if this is a repetitive problem and when it generally arises: repetitive for me, always stress related.
3. Locate the source of stress, is it physical or mental? What is causing the stress? (See above.)
4. Notice the stressor and take steps to alleviate it: Calm my mind and work on the tasks I have in front of me instead of worrying about where I’ll be in five years.
5. Drink lots of water, take a vitamin, and go to bed early, in short, relax and recharge.

I know stress makes me sick, so the most important thing I can do to get well is remove the stressor. I can avoid getting sick by keeping stress at a minimum. If you have chronic small illnesses, the stressor may be larger than you realize. When I was working an office job where I sat still in front of a computer for eight hours a day, I was sick all the time. I had never had such frequent illnesses before in my life. When I quit the job, I stopped getting sick. Think of a time in your life when you seemed to get sick often. Was there a particular stressor that may have caused it?

Being sick or feeling sick is another clue pointing us to investigate our situation. When I’m unhappy or ignoring the clues my mind and self are giving me, I get sick. So, the secret to good health? Investigating ourselves and our situation.