What I Do When I’m Starting to Get Sick (and a reminder I needed too)

Yesterday, I woke up not feeling like myself.

You know that feeling where your body is just a little slower, a little heavier, and you can tell something is coming on? That was me.

Instead of pushing through like I sometimes tend to do, I took the day off and focused on taking care of myself. And within 24 hours, I was already feeling about 80% better.

So I wanted to share a little of what that actually looked like—not as a rigid protocol, but as a real-life example of how I support my body when I’m getting sick.

I started the morning slowly with a warm shower, diffusing essential oils and giving my body a chance to wake up gently. I also gargled salt water, which is simple but really supportive for the throat and immune system.

From there, I leaned into some of my go-to remedies—fermented garlic honey, fire cider, and plenty of fluids. I focused on staying hydrated with water and electrolytes throughout the day.

I skipped my usual walk (even though my dog had some opinions about that), and instead gave myself permission to rest. That alone can be one of the hardest but most important pieces.

I also adjusted my supplements for the day—using higher doses of things like L-lysine, vitamins A and D, NAC, and BCQ to give my immune system extra support.

Throughout the day, I continued with garlic honey and drank some of my homemade “fever breaker” tea with yarrow and mint. I took a nap. I slowed down.

By the evening, my husband made a version of chicken noodle soup—more like a spicy pho—with bone broth, fire cider, fresh onions, kimchi, and lots of herbs. Exactly the kind of warm, nourishing meal the body craves when it’s trying to fight something off.

Before bed, I did wet socks (if you know, you know—honestly a little bit of magic), and let my body rest.

This morning, I woke up feeling about 80% better.

And while the remedies helped, I think the bigger shift was this:

I didn’t push through.

Spring has had a lot of ups and downs in weather, and that alone can wear on the body. Add in the tendency to stay busy, keep moving, and do more… and it’s not surprising when the body asks for a pause.

This was a good reminder for me that sometimes the most supportive thing we can do is step back, even when it’s inconvenient.

As we move into summer, this becomes even more important.

There’s more energy, more activity, more social time… but also more opportunity to overextend yourself if you’re not paying attention (fire energy can lead to burn out- especially in a fire year!).

I know for me, summer also brings the garden, the homestead, and all the things I genuinely love—but that still take energy. So I have to be intentional about creating space for play and joy, not just productivity.

That’s actually a big part of what I go into in my upcoming summer course, Bloom to Fruit, which will be available starting May 5th. It’s all about supporting your nervous system, staying grounded, and actually enjoying the season without burning out.

And of course, while I hope you don’t get sick, these are tools you can keep in mind if you do.

I do carry fire cider and cold and flu support packs in the York office if you ever need something on hand—but even beyond that, the foundation is always the same:

Rest. Nourishment. Listening to your body.

Sometimes the fastest way to get better…
is to actually slow down.