In: Well-Being
Mindfulness and Cough Drops
What do you do with mindfulness when you’re miserable?
I’ve spent the better part of the last three weeks fighting a nasty chest cold. It’s insidious — the type that attacks in waves. The first wave started in the back of my throat and then migrated into my chest, the way most of my colds normally do. I spent a few days coughing up god-knows-what. For a few days I sounded like a frog choking on a kazoo, but eventually the hoarseness resolved, and I relaxed because it was over.
Except it wasn’t.
The second wave started deep inside my chest. I thought it was just a lingering scratch but after several days it blossomed into petals of dry, whooping pain throughout my lungs and throat. It also lodged in my nerves, muscles and joints — a marrow-deep ache laced through my hips, spine, and the small bones of my neck.
The worst part, though, was the belt of agony around my abs and chest. My diaphragm fatigued with each cough until every new fit felt like trying to do crunches with a torso full of pulled muscles.
My friends and family tell me I’m not alone, and that the bug has been circulating. If you’re reading this there’s a good chance that you’ve gone through it too. Stick with me here; we’ll be talking about…
