How to Keep Yourself Healthy During Flu Season
We all know this is the time of year that it’s frighteningly easy to catch some kind of illness. Between the cold weather attacking your immune system to the constant contact with other people in dorms, it’s hard to avoid catching the cold or flu. Here are some helpful tips that will, hopefully, keep you healthy!
1. Dress for the weather – Now that it’s so cold outside, make sure you bundle up in layers. Wear a nice, warm coat along with gloves or a hat. Throw on a cute scarf too! There are so many adorable winter accessories you can choose from, there’s no reason not to wear them when you have to venture outside.
2. Exercise – Regular exercise helps to build your immune system. It’ll keep you feeling happy too! When you exercise for a decent amount of time, you’ll get a rush of endorphins. Besides being good for your physical health, endorphins will make you feel more emotionally healthy too. Any kind of seasonal depression won’t be as bad. Though, make sure you don’t exercise too strenuously! This could run down your immune system.
3. Eating healthy – It’s understandable that you want to eat comfort foods with such cold weather, but those will only make you feel worse in the long run! Make sure to eat lots of fruits and veggies. The occasional junk food will be good for your soul, but not so much your health. Just be smart about the food choices you make.
4. Get plenty of rest – Whether it’s taking naps or getting a decent amount of sleep every night, resting is incredibly important to your health. Your immune system won’t work as well when you’re running on too little sleep (as I sit here typing this at 1am haha). Even if it isn’t sleeping, take some time to relax and de-stress at some point every day. This will help you feel much more calm and refreshed.
5. Be smart! – Always wash your hands and avoid sharing food; the basic health tips you’ve been told since elementary school. But something else you need to look out for now that you’re in college is sharing drinks! You don’t want to catch the flu, but you also don’t want to catch mono or something else that’s totally not fun.