8 Tips for Surviving Flu Season

It’s that time of the year again, where the change in weather causes a lot of people to start feeling sick. Runny noses, headaches, sore throats, and coughs are all too common during this season, and if you want to avoid being sick in the holidays there are a few tips to help you do that.

1. Wash your hands

This is one of the most important things you can do to avoid getting a cold because by scrubbing your hands with an antibacterial liquid will stop the spread of germs and viruses that you have picked up from a public place. Wash for at least 20 seconds.

2. Get a flu shot

While some may choose to skip this step, getting a vaccine against the flu could help prevent a few days of pain and discomfort as you’re bedridden and trying to get over a nasty cold.

3. Try to avoid touching your face

This is one of the easiest ways to spread the germs from your hands onto nose or mouth (and the average person touches their face a lot). While washing your hands in regular intervals can lessen the number of germs found on your hands, it’s also helpful to keep a box of tissues or something similar, and use these over your hands when you feel an itch or irritation.

4. Try to avoid sick people

This point is mostly just about common sense. If you don’t want to get the flu, then try to limit your time around those who are currently suffering from it for both yourself and for them. For yourself, you want to avoid their virus, and for them, you don’t want to affect them with anything else when their immune systems are already weak.

5. Try to get enough sleep

Sleep is incredibly important in helping fight off colds, and according to Health, those who have less than seven hours of sleep a night are three times more likely to get sick.

6. Stay hydrated

Water, herbal teas, and broths will help keep you hydrated, and if you’re already sick they can help to thin the mucus as well as clear your sinuses.

7. Get enough vitamin

It’s important to eat a lot of fruit and vegetables so that your body is getting all the nutrients it needs to stay strong and healthy—and hopefully prevent a cold.

8. Open a window

It’s important to get fresh air, which also helps to circulate the flu particles and reduces the chances of you picking them up.