Beyond Chicken Soup

Mind-Bender

Is there a silver lining to chronic illness or being unwell?

I’m not talking about skipping a day at work or avoiding that tedious social gathering. I’m diving deeper into the world of ‘secondary gain.’

Picture this: You’ve caught a cold and suddenly you’re flooded with attention. Aunt Betsy’s sending over her miracle chicken soup, your partner is giving you control over the remote, and even your teenager is showing a flicker of concern. Suddenly, that sniffle doesn’t seem so bad!

That, my friend, is ‘secondary gain’ in action. It’s the unexpected benefits that a person might receive from an illness or disability.

These benefits could be tangible, like financial compensation or not having to do the daily chores, or intangible, like attention or sympathy from others.

But here’s the kicker. These gains can get a tad too attractive, subtly reinforcing the persistence of the ailment…

… and, did I mention, this sneaky process is usually unconscious? You’re not intentionally channeling your inner drama queen (or king), it’s all part of the human psyche.

So, next time you’re under the weather, observe the scene. You might be the unknowing star of a secondary gain extravaganza!

Wisdom Of The Week

This Is Just Advice…

Eat a minimum of 25g of protein in your first meal of the day so that you can avoid over-eating empty calories later in the day.

A recent, year-long study at The University Of Sydney of 9,341 Australians’ eating habits suggests that individuals overeat fats and carbohydrates due to the body’s strong craving for protein.

Modern diets, being low in protein and mainly consisting of processed foods, drive people to eat more until they satisfy their protein needs. 

The study also discovered that those who consumed less protein in their first meal ate more in subsequent meals, whereas those who consumed the recommended amount of protein didn’t.

Have a great weekend,
Marko