A Simple Approach To Staying Healthy
I started thinking about this post well before the coronavirus started to plague the world. Since then, I’ve seen conferences cancelled, people stuck in other countries, and a heightened awareness of sickness. Not to mention the fact that it’s already flu season!
Perhaps the good thing about an illness affecting people worldwide, means that so many people are conscious of how to stay healthy and avoid catching germs. So, as I consider how we attempt to stay healthy (and sane), here are a few things we do.
Simple Approach To Staying Healthy Tips:
- Sinus Rinse: I swear by this one and it’s helped me a few times in a pinch. One big time it helped was right before I was about to travel internationally and felt a sore throat/cold come on about five days before I was supposed to leave. I was so miserable for about 3 days, but I did the rinse a few times a day and by day five, I was able to travel no problem. What I was worried about turning into a full on sinus infection was staved off. These rinses are great because they help flush out any bacteria or invaders in your sinus cavity that can promote illness. (They’re also a great resource if you have allergies too.)
- EmergenC: A little boost of Vitamin C never hurt anyone. I like to take these proactively if I’m traveling a lot or I know I’ll be around a lot of kids or sick people.
- Take and eat your vitamins. Eating healthy to start helps your body have the fuel it needs to fight infection directly. So, take vitamins regularly and eat foods that fill you with other vitamins as just a foundational step.
- Keep wipes handy. Keep cleaning wipes in your car to wipe surfaces periodically. I also like to keep a few wipes in a sandwich baggie to take on flights during flu season to wipe the seat handles and tray tables down.
- Disinfect your cell phone. Cell phones go with us almost everywhere, which means they pick up a lot of germs along the way. Then, we put them up to our faces to talk on them or we touch them and then eat food. Either way, your cell phone needs to be wiped down regularly to kill the germs.
- Wear a mask. Many of the Asian countries have this down, and it’s something the rest of the world really needs to take into consideration. In many other cultures, people wear masks not only to avoid getting sick, but also to avoid spreading germs. When I learned this, I was encouraged because it’s a very thoughtful thing to do. Now with other illnesses besides just the flu that we’re worried about, it can be a helpful thing to put germs at bay.
- Don’t touch your face. I like to lean my chin on my hands and it’s amazing how much we touch our faces. But, just a simple habit of not touching your face, especially your nose and mouth can help you out.
- Stay home. I know there’s a lot of pressure to come into work or go to school when you’re sick. You don’t want to be that guy who inconveniences people. However, more and more as I get older (and it’s just not worth it to get sick), I just wish people who are sick would take the sick day and stay home and stop spreading germs. It’s the kind thing to do.
- Drink Water. We all know we need to be drinking more water, so this is one that has so many benefits besides immunity. BUT, water helps keep your body healthy to fight infection, plus it helps flush out your system if you do get anything nasty inside.
- Sleep Enough. Are you getting enough sleep? If you’re running on empty, don’t be surprised if your body eventually catches up with you.
I like to keep things easy and manageable. That’s why I seek out a simple approach to staying healthy and one that I know I can keep up. Of course, there are tons of other things you can do to stay sickness-free and happy all flu-season long. If you have other simple ideas, I’d love to hear them!