10 Commandments of Cold Sore Outbreaks – Part I

My niece suffers cold sore outbreaks. When she was young, we blamed them on the strawberries she loved to eat. She often comes to me for advice about her outbreaks, to chat about concerns with her self-image and of course to get my style fashion tips. She has inspired me to write the 10 Commandments of Cold Sore Outbreaks. This is Part I of a two part series. Here are the first 5 Commandments to live (through your cold sores) by.

1. Thou Shalt Not Be a Victim!

Your cold sore outbreak might seem like the most embarrassing thing to endure ever, but when you think about it, haven’t you survived worse? What about the time you accidentally tucked your skirt into your underwear after a visit to the little girls’ room? Or how about the time you tried “home” coloring and you ended up with a head of orange frizzy hair? You had to wear that Ronald McDonald mop around until your stylist could get you in ONE WHOLE WEEK later! Yes, suffering through an entire week of self-inflicted “bad hair days” certainly classifies as legitimate victimhood.

The thing is, don’t be a victim of embarrassment. We all have our moments. And in reality, embarrassment is only a temporary situation. The quicker you get over feeling self-conscious about your situation, the sooner you can get past it, because cold sores are temporary too.

2. Thou Must Keep Perspective

On the grand scale of things, physically, maybe cold sores aren’t that bad. Sure, lip scabs are uncomfortable, you feel self-conscious and there is some pain involved but think about other ailments you’ve had to deal with. Those of us with back problems know how tough it can be when your sciatic nerve acts up and you have to deal with the pain shooting through your back and up and down your legs. Or wouldn’t you sell your soul not to deal with pollen season?
Nothing is worse than having your sinuses swell up, itchy eyes, sneezing and snot, snot and more snot! I know it is hard to keep the “Could be worse” mentality when you’re in the thick of your outbreak…but honestly, it really could be worse.

3. Thou Shalt Not Hide…Too Long

Cold sores are actually a great excuse to hide away at home for a bit and shut out the world. Finally, you have time to get some things done you’ve been putting off. Organize 20 years of pictures, alphabetize your cookbooks, color coordinate your closets or clean out your junk drawers. Do people actually have these things on their lists? When it gets down to actually counting all of the hairs on your head or crafting a shirt made of dryer lint trappings, you better stop yourself. Just like when you were a kid, hiding gets boring. Eventually, you will need to seek out the outside world. As motivated as you are to classify your music collection by artist, genre and song, there should be a limit to your seclusion. Stepping out of the world can be a relief but stepping back in with a fresh attitude is even better. So, give yourself a limit. Make a deal with yourself that you won’t stay locked away at home for more than one day, a weekend or for more than one meaningless project during an outbreak.

4. Thou Shalt Have Major Attitude

It’s “Mind over matter time”. Did you know that some of the world’s most famous people are also some of the shyest people? In fact many used movies and performing as a way to get over their fears. They made the decision to not let something stand in the way of what they dreamed of. Picture the dramatic ways of Joan Crawford, the power of Oprah, the spontaneity of Britney and the boldness of Pink. You need to use these same philosophies to deal with your cold sore outbreaks. Don’t let a cold sore make you lose your confidence and self esteem. Be bold. Be confident. Let your sass and your attitude shine through. You have a lot going for you, with or without a cold sore. Rise up, give two snaps to that cold sore and sashay your way down the runway of life.

5. Thou Shalt Use Retail Therapy

When life gets tough, the tough get shopping. There isn’t much that a hot new outfit or sassy pair of shoes couldn’t fix. That is why shopping is universally known as retail therapy. It is the one common language that all of us fashionistas understand. I think some of the best outfits have been the product of a retail therapy session. And you don’t have to break the bank to do it. New accessories are inexpensive and are just as satisfying. And compliments on your new outfits and purchases will outlast any outbreak. Just look at those tags as little Rx prescription tags where one to two doses are recommended with each outbreak. I’m a certified retail therapist and I highly recommend you buy 2 accessories and call me in the morning.

I’ll leave you to digest the first 5 Commandments. Stay tuned for Part II of my series where I finish up with the final 5 Commandment. They are just as important.

Tags: advice, cold sore outbreak, cold sores, confidence, retail therapy, self image, self-esteem, shopping