u/devlinsky

I have Crohn’s and HS and will be getting married in November. I already got sick twice at the beginning of this year. Despite two separate weeks of having a fever, I pushed through and didn’t take off sick time (I WFH) just in case. But with it so easy for me to get sick, I’m afraid of coming down with something leading up to my wedding.

I plan to stay home as much as I can that month, but my fiancé and I could easily still pick something up at the grocery store or gym.

I will likely mask and be diligent with hand sanitizer and washing, but wondering what else helps you keep from getting sick, or even just getting over a cold/flu faster. For example, I recently learned about people using Nozin or iodine in the nose.

Unhinged “hacks” are welcome 😂

I saw a post this morning asking what everyone’s first thought was when they woke up.

A majority of the comments had a pretty negative undertone — things like “hate that I’m awake,” “dreading whatever bs I have to do today,” or “thinking about going back to sleep.”

One comment stood out to me though: “thank God I’m alive.”

It got me wondering whether people who practice religion tend to be more optimistic or positive than their atheist/agnostic counterparts — or if there’s really no correlation at all and this is just more reflective of where society is right now.

I’d consider myself a pretty optimistic person overall, but I grew up in a non-religious household and consider myself more spiritual than anything. Most people in my life are atheist, agnostic, or come from religious backgrounds but have a strained relationship with religion. A lot of them tend to approach life from a more pessimistic angle.

On the other hand, many of the religious people I know seem to have a more “glass half full” outlook. I’ve wondered if part of that comes from having a stronger sense of community, purpose, or faith that things will ultimately work out the way they’re supposed to. Having something bigger than yourself to lean on probably changes the way you process hardship.

At the same time, maybe it has less to do with religion itself and more to do with personality, upbringing, financial stress, social connection, mental health, etc. It’s also entirely possible we’re all just living through a bleak timeline where people are burned out, hate their jobs, and can’t afford houses 😂

No judgment either way — this was more of a genuine curiosity after reading through the responses. I can definitely see how spirituality or religion could shape someone’s overall outlook on life, but I’m interested to hear what other people think.