Check The Numbers

Thanksgiving is over. You braved the crowds to do some holiday shopping this weekend. And maybe spent a few hours in a crowded airport and airplane. Or took a long drive, stopping along the way at a few rest areas overrun with fellow homebound souls.

So, after all that, how are you feeling?

Maybe a little tired? Maybe a little achy? Maybe you’ve got a touch of the tummy troubles? Maybe a little bleary-eyed? Maybe a bit creaky of mind? Like, you’re having a hard time thinking totally straight at work today?

Here’s the thing: this stuff can all be explained.

Of course you’re tired. You likely traveled a significant distance or hosted the biggest meal of the year at your house. And even if you’ve got local family so the trip wasn’t hard and you weren’t in charge of the bird, it’s still a long day of family time, followed by a weekend spent ramping up to the holidays beyond.

The achy feeling? Of course! Again, cooking is work. Travel requires a lot of movement and/or time spent in an uncomfortable seat. Otherwise, there’s the general winter-y-ness of everything these days. You can feel the cold in your bones.

And tummy troubles? Umm, duh? If you manage Thanksgiving and airport/rest area food without tummy troubles, congratulations!

Bleary-eyed, not thinking straight. That’s probably some combination of drinks, empty calories, and a few days off. Like, Monday mornings can be tough after just Saturday and Sunday away. Following a long holiday weekend? Forget about it. Your job is not to do your job; it’s to remember what your job even is.

What we’re saying is: there’s a chance all this stuff adds up to no big deal.

But also: there’s a chance it adds up to a big deal.

That’s why, among other things (like rapid tests and cold medicine), you need a good thermometer. Because as heated as Thanksgiving conversation can get at times, it doesn’t give you a fever. Or, to put it differently: you shouldn’t be burning up just from feeling burnt out. If you’re running a high temp, probably you’ve come down with something more serious than a post-holiday comedown.

So get a thermometer and, if you’re sick, take time and get healthy!