Last night I was sneezing a bit and felt stuffed up.

This morning my throat is gravelly.

I didn’t sleep well so I feel a bit groggy.

I kind of want to go back to bed but I have a few non-negotiable things to do this morning.

And this is where my brain gets pretzelly.

What’s really going on here?

Am I having an allergic reaction to something blooming now?

Did my allergies keep me from sleeping well?

Are those two things combining with my general tiredness from yesterday and making me feel unwell?

Am I feeling sniffly and gravelly because I didn’t sleep well?

Or…

Am I coming down with a cold and yesterday’s tiredness was the harbinger?

Or…

Do I have the plague?

I know that, ideally, I would treat all of these things the same way – lots of rest, have lots of water, take it easy – but that’s probably not going to happen.

If I am just sleepy and allergy-ridden, I’ll probably feel better by getting a few things done, by getting my brain in gear.

If I have the plague, I should stay home. (I really don’t think I have the plague, by the way.)

If I have a cold, I can do a few things but I should mostly rest.

One part of me doesn’t want do very much, just in case a chance to nap presents itself. After all, wouldn’t want to be too awake to fall asleep easily.

Another part wants to dive into things, either to see if the feeling passes or to get them out of the way in case I feel worse later.

I know I have to pick something and do it but my brain just seems to want to stay as a pretzel, getting more and more tangled in what if.

Sometimes, I am not sure my brain and I are on the same side.