Setting Up a HEALING SPACE When You're Sick

There’s no sugarcoating it: Being sick can be miserable. You feel lousy, you have FOMO, and you’re so tired, but you just can’t settle down and sleep—even though that’s exactly what your body needs.

- AMY PANOS,KAILEY WHITMAN

This is the time to focus on self-care, and setting up a recovery space that promotes rest and healing is a good place to start. For a well-appointed recovery room, we tapped Jamie Gold, Mayo Clinic certified wellness coach and author of Wellness by Design, for a checklist of considerations and amenities.

Start with a Mindset Shift

“You want to make your recovery space cozy, comfortable, and nurturing,” Gold says. The goal is having your needs met without having to leave the room while you’re sick. “This isn’t an isolation prison cell,” Gold says, but rather a way to cut down on you having to get up and move around the house.

Also, Gold encourages shifting your mindset about your downtime. Think of the time you spend in your healing space not as a quarantine but as your very own self-care zone or mini spa retreat, she says. Even though you’re not at 100 percent, you’re taking care of yourself and giving your body the time it needs to restore and rejuvenate. “It’s not as a punishment because you’re germy,” Gold says.

Don’t worry: We’re not talking about a huge redecorating project but rather easy little tweaks that will help your body get the rest and reset it needs. Gold’s suggestions for how to set up your recovery space align around three categories: what to do for your body, your mind, and the other people in your home. Get ready to feel better.

What to Do for Your Body

When you’re sick, you need to treat sleep like it’s your job. Do everything you can to make your room conducive to sleeping deeply and resting comfortably—no matter the time of day.

Make the Bed as Cozy as Possible