Reflections from a hospital stay
Realizing health comes first — and other insights from a short illness.
Do you only realize the value of your health when it's gone?
What if you appreciated your health before it was tested?
Can a brief illness shift your priorities and the way you see your life?
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One cold February day, I started feeling sick with a cough, chills, headache, muscle aches, a runny nose, and a mild fever. By the next day, my symptoms got worse—I had a sore throat and a constant cough. Over the next five days, I couldn’t think clearly, and even simple things like standing up felt exhausting. At night, I started seeing things that weren’t there. I could barely do anything, and my life came to a stop. I thought it was the flu, but when my symptoms got worse, my housemates took me to the hospital. After running some tests, the doctors told me I had severe pneumonia. They put me on antibiotics and oxygen right away and took good care of me. After six days, I was able to leave the old, uninviting hospital room and finally go home.
I was completely shocked to be diagnosed with pneumonia. I had been going to the gym at least five times a week for years, walked and swam regularly, ate healthy, and took good care of my body. In over sixty years, I had never been hospitalized, and suddenly, I found myself in a hospital bed, connected to an oxygen mask and an antibiotics drip in my vein. This was a serious blow to my self-image as a fit person whose lifestyle would keep me from getting seriously ill. It forced me to slow down and think about what truly matters in life. Many of these insights are well-known, yet we often don’t act on them until life forces us to—sometimes at a cost. Below is a list of the insights that stood out for me.
My main insights from the hospital stay
👉 Physical health comes first
During this episode, my body's sole focus became getting better. As it weakened, it became clear that nothing mattered more than healing. Everything else seemed irrelevant. My body's energy went into taking care of itself, and it made me lose interest in activities I usually enjoy, like reading or walking in nature. It was a stark reminder that physical health truly comes first—without it, nothing else matters.
Make choices that support your body: exercise, eat nutritious food, and avoid harmful habits like smoking. You can’t control everything—illness can still happen—but you are responsible for giving your body the best chance to stay strong and healthy. Make physical health your number one priority.
Ask yourself:
🤔 Is physical health my top priority, and do my daily actions reflect that?
🤔 If not, what am I going to do about it?
👉 Mental health is important
Before I got sick, I had just moved to a new house. Normally, I manage stress well, thanks to mindfulness practices like meditation and deep breathing. But my focus shifted to all the stressful tasks involved in the move—signing the purchase contract, cleaning and emptying the old house, moving and unpacking, and handling everything for the new place. I also had far more daily hassles to deal with, each adding to my stress. This prolonged period of stress may have weakened my immune system. Many studies show that long-term stress can lower our immunity. Looking back, I realize I should have been more mindful of managing my stress during that time.
Ask yourself:
🤔 Am I actively managing my stress each day?
🤔 If not, am I open to exploring effective stress reduction techniques from trusted sources?
👉 You need people who care about you
I was sick for a few days and needed daily support—I couldn’t manage everything on my own. Thankfully, several people helped me out, whether by picking up groceries, bringing me nourishing food like chicken soup, broth, and fresh fruit, or ultimately taking me to the hospital. It reminded me just how much I depend on others.
Support doesn’t just appear when needed—it’s built over time. Build strong relationships before you need them. This also means caring about others in return—and being there for them when they need you. When we support each other, we create a network that's there when it matters most.
Ask yourself:
🤔 If I needed help, who could I count on, and how many people are in my support circle?
🤔 Does that feel like enough? If not, what will I do about it?
👉 Build a fitness reserve for tough times
I didn’t exercise just because it felt good. I knew that being fit would help my body recover faster if I got sick. When pneumonia hit me, I believe my fitness made a real difference. My body had a solid foundation to recover quickly once the antibiotics did their job. Just a week after leaving the hospital, I felt strong enough to start taking long walks again and easing back into the gym, starting with lighter weights.
Building a fitness reserve takes time, so start now—before life tests your body’s resilience.
Ask yourself:
🤔 If I fell ill, would my fitness level help me bounce back quickly?
🤔 If not, what small steps can I take today to build a stronger, more resilient body?
👉 Don’t take health or life for granted
In the hospital, I was surrounded by elderly patients in far worse condition—some struggled to breathe on their own because of fluid in their lungs. I had always taken my health, energy, and ability to do everyday things for granted, but I now truly understood that one day, I would lose all of it. And eventually, I would lose life itself. This gave me a new appreciation for the present moment and the importance of making the most of the time I have—whether by spending time with loved ones, enjoying simple pleasures, or finally pursuing the things I’ve always wanted to do.
Don’t wait until illness strikes to appreciate what you have—or to recognize the simple fact that you are alive. Life is short—start living it fully today, before it’s too late.
Ask yourself:
🤔 How often do I take my health and life for granted?
🤔 What’s one action I can take today to start fully appreciating my health and life?
👉 Let small annoyances go
When you see what truly matters—like your physical and mental health, your relationships, and building a fitness reserve—the small, everyday annoyances don’t seem so important anymore. The little things that once bothered you—like traffic delays, not finding a parking spot, waiting in line, or a delayed reply—just don’t deserve your energy. Life is too short to get stuck on minor frustrations. Focus your energy on what truly matters, and let the rest go.
Ask yourself:
🤔 Do minor annoyances drain my energy and attention?
🤔 What small annoyance can I let go of today to focus on what really matters?
👉 Embrace the power of slowing down
We often rush through life, but there’s true power in slowing down. During my hospital stay, I had no choice but to rest and take things slow. Not just physically, but emotionally as well, creating space to process difficult feelings like anxiety, helplessness, frustration, loneliness, and sadness, rather than being overwhelmed by them. Slowing down gave me time to reflect on what truly matters and gain clarity on what I wanted moving forward.
Ask yourself:
🤔 Am I taking time to slow down and process my emotions during difficult times?
🤔 What is one step I can take today to slow down and reflect on what truly matters to me?
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The insights I’ve shared here serve as reminders to focus on what truly matters, let go of small annoyances, appreciate what you have—including life itself, slow down when needed, and make choices that support the health, fitness, and relationships of your future self.
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