Ways to Prevent Getting Sick in the Winter Months

As we all feel on our morning walks to school, this winter has been abnormally cold, hitting temperatures like eight degrees weekly. And as we see every winter season, sickness has invaded schools and workplaces all over, diseases like Noravirus and the common flu running rampant. Though avoiding getting sick all together is no given, here are some easy ways to help keep yourself and your peers healthy and sickness-free:

Wash your hands

While it is always important to remember to wash your hands throughout the day, during times like these it is even more essential to remember to do so. Make sure to always use soap and it is recommended to use warm water when you can.

Don’t share drinks and food

While we all learned in kindergarten the sentiment of “sharing is caring”, during a winter season with so many rampant sicknesses, sharing risks the possibility of spreading diseases to your friends and possibly catching one from them. Sharing things like cups, utensils, and water bottles are some of the easiest ways to leave yourself susceptible to catching something, so remember to bring your own water bottle instead of relying on your friends!

Use tissues and cough into your elbow

While this might seem like a given, if you do happen to get sick, remember to always use a tissue when need be and cough into your elbows. A lot of these diseases are airborne, so coughing into the air will leave your peers at risk of catching whatever you have caught. 

Take care of your immune system

One way of preventing yourself from getting sick is starting at with your body’s own system of prevention: the immune system. Some easy ways of keeping your immune system strong and healthy is making sure to get enough sleep, drinking enough water throughout the day (8-11 cups every day), and eating enough fruits and vegetables. 

Stay home if you do get sick

If none of these prevention tips do the trick and you do end up getting sick, please make sure to take care of yourself. Stay home for until you recover and continue to take care of your immune system. Let your body fully heal before putting the stress of the winter cold and school on your body, which will ultimately make you worse and prolong your recovery.