It’s that lovely time of year again. That time when the huddled masses, yearning to breathe free, are spending their days miserable, sniffly, and feeling like garbage.

Last week, I was one of those people. And I was a heaping pile of garbage.

Having a cold can really put a damper on your ability to think clearly and be productive, and as a freelancer, it can be tough to take a sick day. If you are able to spare the time and take a day or two off you absolutely should treat yourself to some me time. Regardless, you are going to want to be better fast, because nobody likes feeling like a hot mess.

Everyone has their own special blend of awesome for getting over a cold. I prefer to stick to natural remedies because cold medicine makes me feel like a crazy person. These may seem obvious, but just in case, here are some tried and true ways to beat your cold:

Drink all of the fluids!

Drinking water or juice helps to break up your congestion, prevents dehydration, and keeps that scratchy throat moist. Water and herbal teas (with honey) are usually my go-to, however, ginger ale and misery also go hand-in-hand.

Two words: Chicken. Soup.

Though researchers have not been able to scientifically prove that chicken soup helps to cure colds, they do suggest that some of the properties of chicken soup help to reduce inflammation. Which when you are stuffed up, is a pretty good deal. Also, it’s delicious.

Get steamy

Inhaling steam will help ease congestion and runny noses. You can get your steam however you prefer, whether it be hanging out over a pot of boiling water, taking a nice hot shower with the door closed, or using a humidifier.

Get the gunk out

There are some folks out there who say blowing your nose can actually be detrimental to the healing process. I say, do what makes you feel better. Most people however, can agree that nasal irrigation (using a neti pot to shoot saltwater up your nose) is magical and will effectively clear out your nasal passages and alleviate symptoms. I was skeptical at first because (very scientifically of course) I figured that it would be bad to shoot saltwater into my brain. As it turns out, this is not true. What is true, however, is that it works like a charm, although full disclosure, it feels really weird.

Be a cat for a day (or two)

Cats seem to have pretty great lives right? They nap, they eat, they begrudgingly accept human affection on their terms. Be the cat. Sleep for way longer than you think is an appropriate amount of time. Staying warm and resting will help conserve your body’s energy so it can focus on fighting the virus.

Freelancers, what’s your go to cold remedy? Share them in our Health and Wellness Hive!