Writing while sick is a bit like stretching a pulled muscle: You’re not going to deliver your best performance, but if you get the dosage right, you’ll return to peak form a little faster.
When your brain feels foggy, you only have so much time and energy to make a point. To clear the mist and grab something worth saying. Just like a strained muscle, a broken brain needs extra care and a slower pace. If you provide those things, however, if you keep guiding yourself along, you’ll hit the ground running once the fog fades and the sun reappears. You’ll have maintained the right level of hum, and back in full swing, you can keep doing what you’ve done all throughout: keep swinging.
Don’t expect miracles of yourself every day — but don’t give up your best habits on your worst days either. Lower the heat, and move on. On the 10,000-mile journey, what matters is not how fast you can run but whether you have the courage to take at least a single step each day, regardless of how small it may be.