Physical Triggers: Sickness

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by:  Staci Stallings

Last time we discussed being tired and how that can trigger default responses.  Today I want to discuss something that can happen if we become chronically tired (yes, it can happen even if we’re not chronically tired, but tired invites this trigger).  Sickness.

The flu.  Colds.  Being rundown.

You know the story.  Things are going pretty good, and then WHAM!  You’re down for the count.

What does sickness mean to you?  When you get sick, what defaults start coming up?

Do you get irritable?  Surly?  Do you get whiny and weepy?  Do you immediately tell everyone anywhere within earshot that you are not sick?

I remember watching an episode of “Perfect Strangers” once in which Larry lands a date with a super model.  Then he wakes up… sick.

What ensues is a hilarious string of default responses.  First, he tries to do the mind-over-matter thing, saying that he is not sick, and he can go on the date anyway.

Soon he is on the couch, down but not out.

Desperate, he goes to the store and brings back vitamins… “I’ve got my A.  I’ve got my B. I’ve got my C.  I’ve got my D.”  To which Balky replies, “Put them all together, they spell Abcd (aa bu cu du)!”

Larry tries to take the vitamins and nearly chokes to death on them at which point Balky steps in with his home remedy “guaranteed.”  Ultimately Larry drinks the whole bottle instead of taking one teaspoon and is then crashed on the couch, completely missing his date.

When you look at this scenario, the writers managed to hit many default responses to sickness:

“I’m not sick. I can’t be sick. I don’t have time to be sick.”

“Okay, maybe I’m sick but I can get over this and still go on with my life as if nothing happened. I just need to take this pill, and I’ll be all better.”

“If  a little is good, a lot should be better.”

At one point, Larry even gives up, whining, “I never get to do anything…”

So what’s YOUR default when you get sick?  Do you keep pushing?  Do you take stuff to get over it quicker?  Can you stop and rest?

Sooner or later sickness will get all of us.  Is your default working or do you need to consider changing to a manual override in this area?