As the weather gets better, people take more off their clothes, stay closer to the air conditioning and basically invite germs for a party. And while catching a cold at least once during a season is almost inevitable, you can at least increase your chances of avoiding frequent colds and time spent in bed.
Below are our tips to avoid catching a cold this spring.
1) Dress according to the temperature and the wind, not the season.
You can get a heat or a cold wave in any season. So just because it’s April, you shouldn’t be leaving the house in your tiniest coat and no jacket. It’s also a bit early for ballet pumps for most countries. Wearing warmer shoes prevent stomach aches and leaves you less susceptible to stomach flu.
2) Take Vitamin C regularly and preferably by natural means.
Vitamin C helps with your cold symptoms, but it also helps prevent it when you take it regularly, whether you feel great or not.
The best way to get Vitamin C is by fruit and vegetables, and the higher fibre level, the better. Fibre helps keeping your blood sugar level in check. Having a healthy level of blood sugar boost your immune system, giving you stronger armour against the flu.
3) Stay away from the air-conditioning, including the vents.
You might need to heat up or cool down your home or office environment, and it is fine. But the vents not only enable germs to spread faster, they also expose your body to different temperatures in short amounts of time. If you must turn it on, keep it at a reasonable degree, and don’t sit under it or too close to it.
4) Exercise regularly, but know your limits.
Exercising regularly helps with your immune system, enabling you to fight off potential colds and other diseases. Your body gets rid of toxins through sweat, and exercise also makes you happier through the Endorphin hormone.
But you don’t want your efforts working against you, so make sure you are completely dry before going out again. And don’t let the weather conditions get in the way of a workout. You can meet your exercise goals even in winter.
5) Get enough sleep.
Getting sufficient sleep is crucial for your health. How many hours you need depends on a lot of factors, including your age, gender and whether or not you are suffering from any form of illness. But excluding a small minority of people who get by with 4-5 hours of sleep with no side effects or damage to their health, most of us need somewhere between 7 and 9 hours.
However, quality matters even more than quantity.
Also Read: 14 Tips to Improve Your Sleep Habits
6) Eat healthily.
Eating healthily isn’t always easy, cheap or convenient. We might not have the time to cook properly or eat at the healthiest restaurants. We can forget to pack healthy snacks or forget to eat them when we’re so focused on work.
But eating right is a crucial factor in maintaining your health on a permanent basis. And even if you can’t manage to stick to the best meal plans all the time, you can choose stay away from fried food as much as you can. Avoiding processed foods, as well as extra sugar, salt and flour helps.
Drink plenty of water, eat fruit and vegetables several times a day and try to buy natural stuff as much as you can.
Also, don’t neglect your healthy diet when you’re travelling.
7) Wash your hands well and regularly, and keep that antibacterial gel handy.
We don’t suggest you go as overboard as Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon and travel with your own public restroom kit, but it doesn’t hurt to carry antibacterial wet wipes or gel, and spend a bit more time washing your hands. It’s tempting to get it over with quickly, but taking time to do it properly is one of your best defences against germs.
8) Have fun!
We all know stress is bad for us, but it can be very hard to avoid it. The best we can do is to maximise the time we spend on ourselves and make the most of it by having as much fun as possible (excluding unhealthy habits). It’s also important that you enjoy your job and can handle stress at your workplace.
