Hydration and warmth are key

Consumables

Pedialyte

Chicken soup

DayQuil tablets

Hot tea

Tissues

Practices

Gargling salt water (for sore throat)

Less caffeine (just enough to avoid withdrawal symptoms)

Hot compress on the nose

Breathing steam (optionally from a hot beverage)

Grocery delivery

Timeline

A normal bout of the common cold lasts 7–10 days, peaking in intensity around day 3–5.

Day 1 & 2

1. Gargle salt water, assuming you have a sore throat.
2. Buy or arrange delivery of the supplies you'll need to make it through. You're going to lose a lot of capacity, so prepare as soon as you are able.
3. Taper caffeine intake to a minimum without abstaining completely.

Day 3–5

1. Use steam, hot compress, and hot drinks to keep mucous flowing out of your nose gently, without an excess of pressure.
2. Stay hydrated, using Pedialyte when it's especially difficult. Soup and tea also help.
3. Use DayQuil (or NyQuil) as needed for headache and body ache. Staying sufficiently hydrated can reduce the need for painkillers, and over the counter painkillers in the US aren't particularly safe, so hydrate first, then medicate as needed.

Day 6+

Taper off all of these practices as they become unnecessary.

Closing

I wrote this for myself, because I catch cold so rarely that I re-learn these things every time, sometimes with days of avoidable misery before I remember a solution that works for me.

I hope you're in good health. If you have a cold, I hope something you read here makes your recovery easier.