Perks of Having a Cold
I’ve been fighting a terrible cold for the past 3 days. Given that the average cold lasts 7-10 days, I statistically still have 3-4 days with this unwelcome friend.
Apparently, most adults get between 2-3 colds per year, so I know I’m not alone in my suffering. With that in mind, my foggy brain started wondering – is there an up-side to having a cold??
It wasn’t easy, but I came up with 5 small upsides to having a cold, that hopefully make your chills, aches and runny nose a tiny bit less miserable.
5 Upsides to Having a Cold:
Feeling lonely? Be comforted by the fact that the Common Cold is shared across the entire planet by the entire human race, even in the most remote and isolated populations on the earth. In this political climate, it can be easy to forget that, in the end, we are all just sniffly, dribbly humanoids, doing our best* with what we’ve been given.
Hurrah for Personal Space. If you have a preference for a large bubble of personal space, with the Common Cold, this bubble is more than justified: it’s the only kind and civil option. Apparently, 6 feet is the optimal distance that you should keep from other people to avoid sharing the cold virus. Depending on how much you like the people around you, this might be a comforting guideline.
Freedom from inhibitions. I find that having a cold is similar to feeling a bit drunk – my inhibitions are lowered, I don’t care how I look, and I can give far fewer fucks about work, cleaning my house or dealing with bullshit. This can be a freeing, and something to be reveled in and capitalized on while it lasts. Have a senseless meeting with an annoying colleague that you’d normally feel an obligation to attend? Cancel it! Feel like wearing the same sweatpants and shirt for 3 days in a row? Relish in the comfort! It’s also a good reminder that many of the things we worry about (bullshit work, ironed shirts, to-do lists) are actually not that important, and that the world will not implode if we don’t answer our email for a few days.
Luxuriating in some long, hot, steamy showers. The science suggests that lower humidity makes you more likely to catch a cold (which is why we often get colds here in Edmonton as winter approaches and the air gets drier). Once you have a cold, it’s also important to keep things as humid as possible to avoid that dry nose and throat. So, treat your cute little sneezy self!
A chance to contemplate life, the Universe, and everything. Having a cold is a forced opportunity to step away from your regular daily schedule. It offers you the time—between NeoCitran sips—to contemplate your existence and ask – is this the best use of my life? Could I be inventing a new way to capture carbon emissions, help the human race get along, or write the next Harry Potter? Your hazy brain, free from normal inhibitions, might bring some ideas to the forefront. Put a notebook on your tissue-covered bedside table and write down these ideas while you still have the cold-induced nerve to think them. Then, when your health returns, take it as a sign from the gods that you’ve been given a new lease on life to build and do cool shit.
*debatable
