TO WRITE: A Cold Got You Down? Write About It!
I see low, deep gray clouds and the spattering of raindrops outside my window here in Northern California today. And the weather report says a big part of the country is getting snow on this day before tax day. Have the recent shifts in weather contributed to a spring cold for you, as it has many people I know? (So far, so good for me ... for this month.)

After you wake from your weekend nap and pop some more Benadryl, don't turn on the TV to numb your mind. Instead, consider curling up with a cup of hot tea and a blanket in your favorite chair and writing out just how miserable you are. You might just feel better. Your mind will engage and you may forget your sore throat for a while. And remember that writing has been demonstrated to improve immune functioning. I'm not claiming that writing will cure your cold -- but research does show that writing even 20 minutes a day for four days in a row about a difficult or traumatic experience leads to fewer doctor visits for months later. Now that's something to think about!

Play with this...
Describe how your body feels right now as if you're writing for someone who's never had a cold -- the aches, the fever, the lethargy, the stuffiness. OR describe a time you were sick as a child -- what were your symptoms? Who took care of you? How did the illness resolve? Write continuously for 20 minutes. When you look back at the pages you've filled, you'll see you have accomplished something today after all.