Our brains and the nervous system that connects it works 24/7 from our first to last breath. It is designed to keep going, but not for the continuous stimulation of the 21st century. It is easy to forget what calm and not activated really feels like, but if you give it a try, you will likely remember how wonderful that is. A couple ways to do that:
Gaze at this image for a few minutes, and feel what it would be like to be there physically- don't think about anything else.
Do 3 cycles of box breathing, focusing only on breathing.
Try a yoga nidra session.
Help your body take care of you by drinking enough water; if you have a persistent cough, an accessible, economical treatment is being well hydrated.
Think of the cilia in your respiratory tract as hairs that protect your lungs. They work best when well hydrated- your body uses the water you drink to hydrate essential parts, including the cilia.
There are other things that can help, but reaching for water first, before things get severe can be a good idea.
Our bodies have great abilities to adapt to too much or too little water; because of this, we can be complacent and not notice when improving the quality or having a glass of water instead of a different beverage can improve how we feel. Filtered water in a glass or stainless water bottle is healthier than a plastic bottle.
If you are feeling hungry, listless or tired, have a big glass of water and notice if you feel better, there's a good chance it will help.