It’s that time of year again – time for the sniffles, the coughs, the snorts, the hacks, etc. (The etc. can darned near kill you.)
I can only imagine what life around an office can be like during the cold and flu season. Given the fact that the average sick person goes on to work, germs in hand….literally…. any given office can be a germy perdition. One can’t even rely upon the cleaning crew. According to microbiologists, viruses can live for up to three days on phones, water coolers levers, and elevator buttons.
A recent article in Psychology Today gave the following tips for keeping your health when those around you are losing theirs:
- Keep your desk organized and clean. Wipe all surfaces at least once a week with a disinfectant.
- Wash your hands frequently. People who work at their desk touch their face a lot, and when you consider that viruses enter the body through the head’s gateways (the eyes, the ears, the mouth, the nose), you realize why you should wash your hands well a few times throughout the work day. Keep a small bottle of gel sanitizer in a drawer if you don’t fancy the trek to the bathroom.
- Carry tissues. Keeping tissues handy will stop most airborne viruses.
- Get plenty of sleep. Stress weakens your immune system. A recent study found that when flu shots are given to sleep-deprived volunteers, the effect takes weeks to kick in – leaving them vulnerable in the meantime.
- Keep in mind that people with the flu or a cold become contagious a day before they show any symptoms – and remain contagious after the symptoms have disappeared.
Stay well!
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