When you get a cold or the flu, chances are it doesn’t come at the most convenient of times. That’s just how life works. Fortunately, family practice doctors know just what to do. Here are a few of the things they recommend doing when sick.

Take It Easy. You get sick days for a reason, and it’s not to play hooky. When you’re unwell, call off work, stay in bed, and drink plenty of water. You need to rest, and stay hydrated. Water helps thin mucus secretions in the lungs, and orange juice is pakced with vitamin C, which can help protect you against immune deficiencies. Though it’s no cure for the common cold, it can help support the troops.

Get Some Medicine. Although you may want the heavy duty medicine when you’re sick, over the counter drugs work just fine. Just be sure to get the right stuff. Get aspirin, acetaminophen, or ibuprofen to relieve your pain, fever, and body aches. Get something with dextromethorphan, which can stop cough symptoms. Get something with pseudoephedrine, which can decongest your nasal passages.

Have Chicken Soup. Chicken soup might sound like the tired, old, go-to remedy of mothers all over the world, but it works. Why else would people keep recommending it when someone’s sick? Cysteine, an amino acid released from chicken when it’s cooking, is chemically similar to a common bronchitis drug. Plus, the broth can thin mucus and ease a stuffed nose or a wrackign cough. CNN has also reported that chicken soup has neutrophils, which stop cold bacteria from spreading.

Don’t let a sickness stop you in your tracks. Use these tricks to stop the cold in its own tracks, instead. If you have any questions, or know of any other ways to get over being sick, feel free to share in the comments.