Bring on The Chicken Soup

Here in Virginia we have been plummeted with snow this season. With this cold weather also comes the flu & virus season. My family has been sick for what feels like forever. My son goes to daycare and brings every bug, flu, virus he can find home with him. It’s always a case of pass the sickness. First he is sick, then after caring for him I get sick, finally after caring for me my husband will get sick. It never fails. The problem with this is as a family, we are never well at the same time. It’s likely we are constantly operating at only 2/3 to 1/3 capacity. It’s exhausting. Plus we all have different ways we like to be taken care of when we are sick. My little one turns into another appendage on my body. Never letting you put him down, he cries and sleeps his way through sickness.

For me I like to be babied. My husband probably hates this quality in me even though he never lets me know it. Personally I would drive myself nuts if I was taking care of me when I was sick. (I truly hope this last sentence made sense.) I want my husband to constantly bring me food, water, warm wash cloths, medicine, etc. as I battle my way through sickness. And bless him my husband complies.

My husband is the complete opposite. He wants to be left completely alone. He doesn’t want to be brought soup, or have concern poured over him. He wants to shut off in his room with the blankets over his head until the sickness has evaporated.

Our conflicting styles cause for very interesting interactions when one of us gets sick. He will avoid “bothering” me when I am sick leaving me feeling neglected, and I am constantly trying to sooth (aka bother) him. After about 6 years of marriage and a stretch of consecutive sicknesses in the past 3 months we are finally beginning to read each others signals. He will check in on me asking if I want food, water, medicine. I will allow him to hermit himself in his room and do my best to keep things quiet and peaceful.

As agents when dealing with upset clients, its like sickness, we have to learn to read our client’s signals. Do they want to have their problems catered to every moment, with consecutive check backs or even worse, do they shut us off, not asking for help, hoping the issues will evaporate? Either way we need to be adaptable to their needs, knowing when to bring in the chicken soup, or knowing when too much interaction becomes smothering. For most, you will find a happy medium when a little medicine and some quiet rest will fix the situation.

This is all part of building a rapport and relationship with your clients. If you learn how to sooth their needs without coming on too strong or without leaving them feeling neglected, they will be more likely to weather the flu and cold seasons with you.