The sniffles start, then comes the sneezing, and then the fever. The head fog and body aches follow shortly behind. You wash your hands a little bit longer than usual, noticing the quick onset of your partner’s sickness. Whether it’s a cold, the flu, strep throat, or anything else that would knock you out of work for a couple of days, you want NO PART in getting what they have, right?! It’s easy to put some distance between yourself and your spouse in an effort to stay healthy, but you’re also supposed to be their rock – in sickness and in health. While it may feel tough to balance giving your partner what they need while sick while also keeping yourself healthy and managing all of your own daily life tasks, it is possible. Your partner isn’t asking you to move mountains – they just need you to take some of the load off and help them get better. Here are a few tips to help…
Pick Up the Slack
No matter if you’re mad at them or irritated at helping for some reason, pick up the slack, anyway. They’re out of commission, and their job is to rest when they’re sick. If you’ve gotten in an argument the night before they got sick or you’re irritated with their attitude, help anyway. You can talk about your feelings when they aren’t sick anymore. Try putting your stuff on the shelf, and pick it back up when it’s the appropriate time.
Practice Patience & Understanding
They’re doing the best they can. Whether it’s day 2, day 5, or day 8 of being sick, stick with them. If they aren’t able to follow through with date plans or aren’t able to manage their responsibilities, simply step up eagerly to help them out.
Stay Home with Them
It may feel tempting to go have fun with the friends when your spouse wouldn’t be able to go, anyway. However, they will feel your support even if they’re sleeping and you’re in the other room.
Get Them Their Favorite Things
They may not be able to eat very much. Getting any food or drink in them is better than nothing. Bring them a variety of things to try to eat, and don’t get frustrated if some (or all) of it goes to waste. They’ll appreciate the gesture, and will know that their favorite foods are sitting in the fridge for when they’re feeling better.
And don’t stop doing all these things if they get sick often. Remember that they didn’t choose this. Nobody likes being sick!
If you have any questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please contact us at 832-421-8714.