4 Tips to Stay Healthy this Cold and Flu Season

Autumn is here, and there’s so much to love about it- from the beautiful falling leaves to football to an astounding array of pumpkin-spice flavored food and drinks, we couldn’t be happier to celebrate fall! However, the dropping temperatures also serve as a harbinger of the beginning of the dreaded cold and flu season. Keep yourself and your family protected from nasty cold and flu germs this winter with these tips:

1. Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands!- We simply can’t stress this one enough. The mere act of washing your hands several times a day can kill cold and flu germs before they have a chance to invade your body. Make sure to use warm water and soap, and do it for long enough to sing the ABC song through once.

2. Avoid face time- You wouldn’t believe how often you touch your face in a day. From scratching your ear to rubbing your eyes, you probably make contact with your face over 20 times a day without realizing it! Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, mouth and ears to prevent cold and flu germs from entering your body via your fingers.

3. Disinfect your phone- Research shows that a mobile phone typically has more germs on it than a public toilet seat, yet we don’t often clean our mobile devices as we should to disinfect them. Use a safe-for-electronics cleanser and a soft microfiber cloth to gently clean the surface of your phone as well as any buttons on the side, and be sure to remove it from its case and clean between the cracks too. While you’re at it, clean your remote controls, computer keyboard, steering wheel and gearshift of your car and your keys- these oft-overlooked items that we use multiple times each day are positively teeming with germs!

4. Rest is best- If after all this you or your family members still fall victim to a cold or the flu, make sure to take it easy and have a day of rest. If you aren’t feeling well don’t send yourself to work or your kids to school. Not only does this aid in spreading germs to others, but it also increases the length of time it will take you to make a full recovery. Give yourself a break and catch up on valuable rest when you’re run down.

Do you have any home remedies for staying healthy during cold and flu season? Let us know in the comments section.