Slow Down

We live in a fast-paced world. It seems that we have little patience for most things these days. I think that we need to take time for ourselves. We need to slow down sometimes. If we get sick, we need to take the time to make ourselves better. We owe this to ourselves and to those around us.

This is one reason I have a real problem with television commercials. There is one in particular that has been aired recently. It shows a young and attractive woman who says, “You think a cold can stop me!” She then pops a pill to relieve her cold symptoms and carries on with her day. We then see her go to the pool and swim laps. She finishes her thought by adding, “then you don’t know me.”

So, what is the message of this commercial? Don’t slow down, even if you are sick. Carry on with life as if nothing is amiss. I think that this is completely and morally reprehensible. I know that commercials aren’t meant to carry a message other than the promotion of a product, but we are influenced by everything we see. Shouldn’t commercials be more ethical in their nature?

Another commercial on this same subject does a much better job of being socially responsible while continuing to market their product. The pill is still taken by a woman, who once again is quite attractive. But the advertisement encourages the consumer to take a day to recover. She pops the pill, doesn’t have the cold symptoms and seems to be enjoying herself. The difference is that she isn’t at work or at the pool where she can get other people sick. Instead, she is in bed and reading. She is taking a day off to recover.

We all need days off to relax and recover. If you are sick, you should slow down. Take a day off. Drink juice, stay in bed covered up, read, watch TV, whatever. Take care of your body and don’t feel that you need to do everything all the time. Your workplace can survive a day without you, your body can’t. Be good to it and don’t drive it too hard and wear it out. Slow down, when you need to. Take care of yourself, okay?