It’s that time of year again: sickness season. It’s not just the kids who are preparing for the annual influenza outbreak — adults should be on the lookout, too. Here are some tips to protect your health and avoid getting sick during this flu season.
- Apply hand sanitizer: germs can spread quickly, and you don’t want to be exposed to them. Use a hand sanitizer when you’re out in public so you don’t have to touch the door handles or seats.
- Clean your workspace: You spend a lot of time in your home office so it’s important to keep it clean. One way is by using a disinfectant spray or wipes that can kill germs quickly before they spread.
- Stay hydrated: Staying hydrated helps your body fight against viruses and other infection. Drink lots of water every day and make sure to get plenty of rest so your body can recover faster from being sick.
- Identify your “cues.” Something triggers a habit, so it’s important to figure out what sets off your particular habits. It could be hunger, boredom or something else entirely. Once you’ve identified the cue, you can work on changing the routine that follows. Identify rewards for new behaviors. Rewards don’t have to be big and flashy; they just have to reinforce the positive habit you’re trying to develop.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs are primarily spread by hand-to-face contact. Keep your hands away from these parts of the body when possible so that you don’t transfer germs from them to your face.
- Get a flu shot. It takes about two weeks after vaccination for antibodies that protect against influenza to develop in the body. The flu shot is available at your doctor’s office, local pharmacy, health department and other places where vaccines are given.
