There was a doctor who taught at the universitys military training department. All her life, shed worked in a childrens hospital. She once shared a rather curious story. Her kids managed to catch every infectious illness imaginable, even though she was a doctor herself. In fact, they were forever picking up new viruses she was completely worn out treating them all the time. And yet, her little ones were generally lively and full of beans.
Of course, being a doctor, she practiced good hygiene. As soon as she got home, shed shower, change clothes, and wash her hands thoroughly. Still, somehow the children always managed to fall ill with exactly the same ailments her patients had at hospital. If there was a particularly serious case, her kids would inevitably come down with it almost immediately. No amount of vitamins or healthy routines seemed to help, no matter how much this mother tried. In the end, she felt absolutely hopeless.
One evening after an especially draining day at work thered been a difficult case she dreaded going home, convinced her children would get ill again. So, on a whim, she decided to go to the cinema instead, and watched an Indiana Jones film. Afterwards, feeling guilty yet oddly uplifted, she made her way home. Yet, when she arrived, her children were as full of energy as ever not a cough or a sneeze in sight.
From then on, she carried on the experiment. Another time, instead of heading straight home, she dropped round her friend Emilys house, had a cuppa with some biscuits, and ended up laughing her head off at an old joke. Yet again, her children managed to avoid getting ill.
It soon became a routine for her. Despite being completely shattered at the end of each workday and knowing there was always a mountain of things waiting for her at home she would first take a stroll through the park. It was a lovely little place, full of flowers and a peaceful fountain shed wander among the blooms, sit quietly on a bench a while, and only then return home. From that point on, the children remained perfectly healthy.
In the end, this doctor concluded that it wasnt just about germs. It was something to do with the state of mind, the energy, the atmosphere she brought home with her. The negativity or worry she carried seemed to affect the children more than any virus. And there was the simple answer ever since she changed her routine and gave herself a moments peace after a stressful day, there hadnt been a single illness at home.
So, dont rush straight home in a cloud of gloom after something goes wrong. Without meaning to, you might bring along something negative even if you dont utter a word. The best thing to do after a difficult day is to shift your mood: take a walk through the park, watch an adventure film like Indiana Jones at the cinema and only then go back to the people you love. How exactly it works is something scientists are still looking into but one things certain, it really does work, and its definitely worth taking that time before heading home.
