Fresh Living

Fresh Living

When Your Spouse Has a Cold…

posted by hrossi | 3:25pm Thursday December 10, 2009

My beloved has been snuffling, coughing, sneezing, and aching for three days now.  Poor guy.  But I’ll admit it–right up there with “Can I bring you some soup, Sweetie?” in my mind is, “Don’t you dare get me sick.”

As I’ve fussed over him to help him feel better this week, I’ve also been majorly into prevention (or germaphobic, depending on your perspective) for myself.  Here are some tips for how to protect yourself when your spouse–or boyfriend/girlfriend, child, roommate, or even coworker–is a sickie.

3 Ways to Protect Yourself When Your Spouse Has a Cold

1.  Take Out the Trash – I’ve been emptying the garbage cans in the bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen a couple of times a day this week because just looking at all those gooshy tissues, I can almost hear the germs saying, “hey, can I come hang out with you next?”

2.  Sleep on the Couch – or, as I’m lucky enough to be able to do, the guest bed.  Because people with colds tend towards night sweating, mouth-breathing, and uncovered coughing.  Plus, will you really sleep well if your mind is focused on “is he breathing on me?”

3.  Do all the Cooking and Cleaning – I become very June Cleaver when Rob gets sick, in violation of our usually unwavering “I cook, you clean” policy.  I do this not only because he’s feeling lousy and I want him to rest, but because I don’t want the hands that just caught a sneeze touching a) food b) clean dishes c) the cabinets, drawers, counters, etc.

Do you have more tips for practicing cold and flu prevention when someone within your home has got a bug?  Do tell!

Like what you see? Click here to subscribe and get Fresh Living in your in-box every day.



Previous Posts

Fare Well, Live Fresh...and Thanks
This is the post in which we say goodbye.  We're both leaving our respective jobs at Beliefnet, and so it's time to step away from the blog.So, this is the post in which we say goodbye...by saying thank you.  Thank you to you, the readers, for clicking and visiting and sharing the myriad w

posted 12:00:45pm Jul. 02, 2010 | read full post »

Waking Up to Your Dreams (by Wendy Schuman)
Are you a frustrated dreamer? I know I am. I often wake up with fragments of scenes echoing in my mind that seem really meaningful--but then I leap out of bed, start my morning routine, and in seconds they're gone. I want to linger in that realm and tap into the guidance and insight rising from a wi

posted 2:21:32pm Jun. 24, 2010 | read full post »

Prayer for the Gulf from the 13 Grandmothers
Because I lack an engineering degree and don't understand why we can't just stop this thing NOW with a 10-ton wad of gum or giant boulder or massive Q-tip, I'll share more spiritual wisdom from elders. This is from the beautiful, amazing International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers--they each

posted 10:52:38am Jun. 21, 2010 | read full post »

Fresh Morning: Worry Away the Worry
"Worry is a prayer for something you don't want." - Sharon Gannon I love that. The other day someone expressed concern about my excessive worrying habit, and I've been contemplating on it ever since. Doing my best to actually contemplate, rather than worry. I've been on a renewed Gilmore G

posted 9:14:40am Jun. 21, 2010 | read full post »

How Did You (or a Loved One) Heal from Cancer?
In addition to co-writing this blog and working at Beliefnet full-time, I'm writing a book. It's about how I got through cancer five years ago with a combination of heavy-duty Western meds and all I knew from my personal and journalistic experience of yoga, meditation, non-religious spirituality, an

posted 3:08:46pm Jun. 18, 2010 | read full post »

Advertisement
Comments read comments(1)
post a comment
Jill

posted December 11, 2009 at 6:59 pm


Aww poor Rob! I hope he feels better! Though when I or my fiance are sick we don’t think about sleeping apart. As far as tips, those all sound good to me, I have nothing to add. :)



report abuse
 

Post a Comment

By submitting these comments, I agree to the beliefnet.com terms of service, rules of conduct and privacy policy (the "agreements"). I understand and agree that any content I post is licensed to beliefnet.com and may be used by beliefnet.com in accordance with the agreements.

Share this story


About Beliefnet

Our mission is to help people like you find, and walk, a spiritual path that will bring comfort, hope, clarity, strength, and happiness. More about Beliefnet.

Help

Media Kit

Subscribe

Legal

Copyright © Beliefnet, Inc. and/or its licensors. All rights reserved. Use of this site is subject to Terms of Service and to our Privacy Policy. Constructed by Beliefnet.

Advertisement

Report as Inappropriate

You are reporting this content because it violates the Terms of Service.

All reported content is logged for investigation.