Nobody wants to get the flu, do they? If others around you are sick, however, it may seem like a foregone conclusion. It’s only a matter of time, right?
Wrong. There are steps you can take to help you get through the flu season unscathed, regardless of others around you being sick or not. This guide will help you stay in top shape, so you can give the flu a run for its money.
Skip The Late Nights
It’s no secret that sleep is nature’s repairman. Your body is like your phone’s battery — when you deprive yourself of sleep, it’s like constantly draining the battery without letting it charge all the way. In your phone, that means the battery is going to lose the ability to hold a charge, and need to be replaced sooner than normal.
In your body, it means that the cells don’t have time to repair the daily stress and damage. This weakens your immune system and makes you more susceptible to all illnesses, not just the flu. So when you think about it, skipping sleep can do more than just make you cranky!
Get a Flu Shot
Despite what you may have heard from friends and coworkers, it is definitely not too late to get the flu shot. The flu shot won’t get you sick either. And, getting a flu shot not only helps you avoid the flu but helps you to protect the health of everyone around you, including those with compromised immune systems.
Give Your Diet A Boost
Your immune system is great at fighting off intruders, but it often can’t do it alone. You need to make sure that you’re eating properly, giving your body the building blocks it needs to stay strong.
Vitamin C is great for boosting your immune system, and antioxidants help keep your body running strong and fit. If you don’t normally eat a lot of fruits and veggies, however, you may find it hard to drop your old diet and just start cramming in the good stuff.
It’s okay to take small steps, as long you’re increasing your intake of key vitamins and minerals. Take your morning coffee or daily drink, for example. Try replacing these with tea, if you’re not already drinking it. There are so many varieties available now that it should be easy for you to find something that suits your tastes perfectly. Citrus flavors are particularly good for boosting your immune system, and honey has many natural healing properties.
You can also try replacing your daily snacks with fruit. Start your day with a healthy and tasty green smoothie to give your body the nutrients it needs.
Don’t forget your vitamin supplements, either. If you’re worried you’re not getting enough of what you need, adding a daily supplement will go a long way in helping you to boost your health.
Certain herbs can also boost your immune system, help your body fight off colds and the flu, and cut down the length of illnesses you do catch. Echinacea is one such herbal remedy, often found in the form of herbal tea. Elderberry syrup has also been shown to naturally boost immune function.
Don’t Forget To Clean Your Office
Germs like to hide everywhere! While you should be cleaning periodically anyway, it’s especially important during cold and flu season.
Stop for a second, and think of all of the things you touch throughout the day, whether it’s intentional or not. It’s a lot, isn’t it? Your coworkers touch the same things. Unfortunately, you know that not everyone covers their sneezes or washes their hands as frequently as they should, which means they’re spreading germs every time they touch something.
By cleaning the surfaces you touch frequently and washing your hands often, you’re helping reduce the contact you have with those germs. You’re also doing your part in helping to prevent spreading those germs even further, and reducing the risk of reinfection later on down the line for anyone who has been sick. Antibacterial cleaning wipes make cleaning door handles, phones, and other surfaces quick and easy.
Cut The Stress Where You Can
Stress is one of the biggest factors that can put a strain on your body, and weaken your immune system. While a little bit of stress can potentially be beneficial, too much can actually make you sick all on its own. This, of course, will pave the way for the flu to weasel right on in, so you’ll want to cut out as much stress as you can.
Trying to do too much yourself is one of the top sources of stress, and it’s also one of the easiest places you can cut stress out. If you need a trusted partner to help streamline your business and cut down on your stress levels, Harbor America can help. We’ve got the tools that’ll help make sure that your business runs smoothly, allowing you to focus on the important things, like the health of your employees, yourself, and your company.