The weather has started to cool, we can all pull out our sweaters, drink hot cocoa, and jump in piles of leaves.
We can also all get the flu.
It’s no secret that fall is the start of the flu season. But how do we stay healthy and power through it?
- Maintain your health in general. You already knew this, and you might even be annoyed that I’m saying it because it’s so obvious. But it bears repeating—continue some version of your summer workouts, eat just as well as you have been, and don’t let the cold weather turn you sedentary. And always, always stay well rested.
- Get your flu shot. I know, I know. It’s a pain (literally) to get your flu shot, and it’s one of those vaccines that can tend to sound useless, since it’s speculative. But trust me, it’s still useful, as it still builds up your immune system. And if you hear cries of “the flu vaccine made me sick!”, you’ve simply come across a person who either already had the virus when they got their shot, or they’re unlucky enough to have contracted some rarer strain than the one the vaccine was focused on.
- Stay hygenic. Cover your mouth with a tissue (and in worst cases, your elbow) when you cough and sneeze, wash your hands often with plain soap, and generally keep yourself clean and your germs to yourself. Nobody likes the guy who coughs out into the open air.
- Stay away from germy friends. Not 100 miles away, of course. A few feet will do. If your sick friend has decided to subject everyone to his or her illness, you’re more than justified in staying away from them.
- If you do get sick, take time off. Sure, it’s hard to miss work and school, but it’ll be better for everyone, including you, if you just take a day or two to recover. Going out when you’re ill just puts other people at risk of catching what you have. You should be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to your school or workplace.
