With the colder months approaching, the holidays quickly sneak up… but so does cold and flu season. Living in community housing, like the dorms or greek houses, makes this time of year even worse because sickness spreads rapidly. Like many others, I have experienced the dreaded never ending cold that doctors can’t do anything for which leaves you sick for what feels like forever. The one positive of getting a cold every year around this time of year is that I have many tips and tricks to help you survive this cold season.
1. Try your best to avoid getting sick.
This one can be hard and often you can’t avoid getting sick, but there are many steps you can take to try to prevent it. Absolutely go get a flu shot from your doctor or even the closest Walgreens, this is the easiest and most effective way to not get sick. Wash your hands constantly or carry hand sanitizer, especially after touching door knobs and before and after classes. If you know a friend or family member is sick, try to avoid close contact with them and wash your hands after seeing them.
2. When you do get sick try natural remedies first.
My first symptom of my cold was a sore throat, so I was constantly drinking hot tea with honey. I also like to gargle warm salt water for 15 seconds multiple times a day and take long hot showers. The campus rec center has a steam room and sauna that is free to students, these can be very helpful for congestion, sore throats, and just in general sweating the toxins out. For any sickness, I also recommend getting a humidifier or oil diffuser (or one that does both!) and using it throughout the day and night. My favorite oils to use at night are tea tree and lavender and during the day I like peppermint and eucalyptus.
3. If you go to the doctor know your symptoms.
Personally, I only go to the doctor if it is my absolute last resort, but when I do go I know exactly what my symptoms are and know what to expect of the doctor. I also tell them any important medical history or conditions and am sure to thoroughly explain my symptoms, how long I have had those symptoms, and what helps or worsens my symptoms. Also, if you are like me and don’t have a doctor in Fort Collins, the health center does accept walk-ins and doesn’t have too bad of a wait time. I also like to go to the pediatric urgent care that is on Harmony and Timnath (they do accept patients who are over 18!).
4. Know your limits and practice good self-care.
One day when I was really sick with my current cold, I knew I was feeling absolutely horrible and decided to skip a couple classes and nap for four hours instead. Academics are very important to me, but I knew if I went to class I would not be coherent enough to actually retain any information, so I made the decision to stay home. It is okay to say no to hanging out with friends or skipping a couple classes in order to practice good self-care, however if you are noticing you are constantly struggling to get out of bed or are not interested in your normal tasks go see a doctor or a counselor (students get 5 free counseling sessions at the health center!).
When it comes down to it, no one likes being sick and usually you can’t control when you get sick. Most students will inevitably end up getting sick and usually it is when you are crazy busy and truly don’t have time to get sick. Hopefully these tips will help you avoid that situation altogether or help you get through it faster and easier.