Five tips to prevent sickness before it happens
By Sierra Sellers
Illustrations By Katherine Chen
It’s that time of year again. The dreaded flu season is upon us. Some less fortunate souls can take practically every precaution in the books to avoid getting sick, but still succumb to every little virus. If you are one of these unlucky few, then the following five tips may just be the key to avoiding another pesky cold.
Tip one is the most well-known, but it can make a huge difference. Wash your hands, and do so often, even if there is no one in the bathroom to give you the skeptical side-eyes for not doing so. While hand sanitizer may come in handy, over sanitizing can actually make you more susceptible to germs than not washing your hands all together.
Now, tip two takes a little more mindfulness, but it is something to be conscious of. Avoid touching your face. This is the number way one that germs are spread from one person to the next. From classroom doorknobs to the keyboards in the library, if someone else has touched it, there may be germs on its surface. If you touch your face, those germs will travel from that surface to your face.
Tip three is a bit hard to do for college students, but should still be taken into consideration. Maintain a proper sleep schedule. If your sleep is compromised, then so is your immune system. Besides, who doesn’t love a good excuse for a nap?
Tip four may not be as appealing to some, depending on your taste buds. A daily intake of probiotics, which are most commonly found in yogurt, can be beneficial. Studies show that students who eat yogurt, and other foods abundant in probiotics, have a stronger immune system than those who do not.
Tip five goes hand in hand with tip four. Start taking vitamins. It’s not a difficult habit to start, and it’s a really great one to have. One trick many people recommend is placing your bottle of vitamins next to your toothbrush, so you don’t forget to take it.