Cold and Flu Season: How do You Make a Tissue Dance?

How do you make a tissue dance?

You put a little boogie in it! You’ve all probably heard that one before just like everyone knows the obvious ways to protect yourself during cold and flu season, but what about the not so obvious tricks? With fall officially upon us and with everyone packed back into offices and classrooms it’s always good to refresh on how to keep you and your family healthy this year. Here are 5 tips to keep the boogie out of tissues and out on the dance floor:

Sanitizing Saves your Sanity: Our office space, phones, door handles and steering wheels. All places we interact with on a regular basis but rarely think about to actually clean. During the cold and flu season take time each week to disinfect and sanitize what you interact with most often. You’ll protect yourself from germs that build up over time and can make colds seemingly last forever. I’ll also recommend keeping a bottle of hand sanitizer at your desk and in your car so that when you cough or sneeze you can immediately sanitize your hands before you continue with your day.

Tea Time: Try swapping those cups of coffee for a few cups of tea each day. Add a little lemon, which thins mucus, and honey, which is a natural antibacterial- not to mention it taste good! Different types of tea have different benefits, green tea increases metabolism and black tea is good for your lungs. My advice: drink what taste good to you because they are all good for you. A personal favorite that I would recommend: Green Chai tea. Chai tea enhances the immune system, is an anti-inflammatory while green tea is good for cell health, meaning that the healthier your white cells are the better they can fight off illness. I’ll take another cup!

No Touchy: Germs are everywhere so try to avoid using handrails and touching handles unless necessary. That being said, washing your hands frequently will help keep these germs at bay. Something else that will help reduce infections, something that my parents still have to remind me, stop chewing your fingernails. Bottom line, keeping your hands clean and avoiding contact with your mouth and face will help keep you out of the doctor’s office (and if you do really well in the mani/pedi chair).

Work it Out: When we’re sick we want to stay in bed, watch Netflix and have soup brought to us. If you have a fever, this is the best option, but if you’re feeling up for it, staying with a regular workout routine can actually help improve your immune system. It might help clear your nose and relieve some of your cold symptoms. I know that for me, at the very least, working out helps keep my mind on something other than how much I am coughing or sneezing. If you feel really stuffed up, just sitting in a sauna and sweating a little will help you clear out your sinuses and get the toxins out of your body as well. It will also help you relax, what a great way to cure a little cold!

Dreaming of Humidity: These days it seems like sleep gets moved to the bottom of the to do list but we all need at least seven to nine hours of sleep each day, especially when we’re fighting a cold or the flu. It gives your body time to recharge and recover from the day. While you’re counting sheep, be sure to run a humidifier in your room. There are benefits to cool and warm mist humidifiers. Cool mist is generally recommended for infants and children because the cool air not only helps protect against cold and flu but also Croup. Cool mist humidifiers use less energy while requiring less maintenance- dumping excess water daily and cleaning with white vinegar once a week. Another benefit of cool mist humidifiers is that the water does not boil reducing the risk burning tiny hands. Warm mist humidifiers actually boil the water allowing use of oils and vapor liquids. Just like cool mist humidifiers, warm mist humidifiers also need to be cleaned regularly. All humidifiers add moisture to the air making it more difficult for bacteria and germs to travel since cold and flu germs travel faster in dry air. Adding a little moisture helps to loosen congestion and help to break a dry cough. Not only do humidifiers help relieve cold and flu symptoms but they help to keep your skin from getting dry all winter long- what a plus!

And remember:

Why can’t a bike stand by itself?       …It’s two tired.

I wrote a song about a tortilla… Well actually it’s more of a wrap.

Two antennas got married. The ceremony wasn’t much, but the reception was perfect.

Laughter is the best source of medicine, so be sure to laugh and smile each day this cold and flu season!