As someone who is an autumn enthusiast, I have been eagerly waiting for the dense summer humidity to be replaced by the crisp and cool fall air. However, many of us will dearly miss the summer and our well-equipped immune systems. We’re either already battling or will catch the inevitable cold, flu or virus. Here are some ways to prevent you from getting sick.
TEA
For those of you who may know me, I am OBSESSED with tea. As a disclaimer, this suggestion is not scientifically nor medically established. Based on my personal experience, a tea a day will keep the flu away. Whenever I unknowingly waiver from my tea regime, I tend to catch a cold! Perhaps it’s the antioxidants or tannins (substances in tea that have shown to be calming), or the warmth bracing you from the wind-chill that makes tea so effective at preventing illness. I recommend green teas during the day since they are packed with a generous amount of caffeine to support your busy days, and a honey infused chamomile before bed.
Avoid getting too stressed out
Unlike tea, which hasn’t been scientifically proven to cure seasonal ailments, it has been demonstrated that stress makes you more susceptible to falling ill. As much as we all hate being stressed out by our endless procrastination, it is widely recognized that stress tremendously weakens our immune system. Instead of ruminating on all of your responsibilities, be proactive and take time for yourself to unwind! Go for a run, take a yoga class or create a sweet playlist. You will boost your immunity and your state of mind.
Wash your hands
This tip seems rather intuitive, but we are all culprits of forgetting to wash our hands regularly. It is obvious that you should generously lather your hands with soap after using the washroom. Although, periodically throughout the day, we encounter and touch many things that could be housing some nasty bugs. Whether we are shaking someone’s hand or going to the grocery store, it might be a good idea to give our hands a wash. Researchers say that the duration of singing “Happy Birthday” is a sufficient time to scrub away the germs. Also as another tip, try not to over-sanitize your hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizers. We don’t want to eliminate the friendly germs we have, which work to ensure our immune system remains effective and functional!
Sanitize your belongings!
Not only is it imperative that we keep our hands free of unwanted germs, but we must also keep the surfaces we are regularly touching. A perfect example is our cell phone. Do you remember the last time you disinfected any of your electronic devices? You may be reluctant to admit it, but we are all guilty of bringing our cell phones to the washroom with us, sneezing all over our laptops without disinfecting our keyboards or even placing our food directly on a desk in Morisset (ewww). As a tip, disinfect your phone with an alcohol wipe whenever you can and regularly disinfect surfaces.
Now, with these tips, go and embrace the breathtaking autumn foliage and enjoy sweater weather while it lasts!