Flu season is in full swing. Here are four habits you should keep or break if you want to stay healthy this winter.
Don’t Touch Your Face
The most common places for viruses or infections to start are your eyes, mouth, and nose. If you touch something that has been contaminated and then touch your face you’re likely to get sick. Tables, chairs, counters, and door handles are all surfaces with a lot of hand traffic. If you hear coughing or sneezing around you, be careful.
Wash Your Hands
If you absolutely have to touch your face, make sure to wash your hands beforehand. If you cough or sneeze, wash your hands. If you use the restroom, public or at home, wash your hands. Washing your hands properly, for at least 20 seconds, can prevent infections and the spread of bacteria. Hand sanitizer is a good thing to have around as well, especially if you’re not in the vicinity of a restroom. Having clean hands is a great habit to prevent the flu.
Get off the Couch
Being active is a great habit all year round, but especially during flu season. It’s nice to hang out on the couch when it’s cold outside, but you should get up and exercise, even a little bit. If you can do 2 to 3 hours of exercise a week you will lower your risk of getting sick.
Quit Smoking
Smoking can lead to lung inflammation and mess with your immune system. That will create a greater risk of catching the flu. And once you catch the flu it will be harder to fight it. The symptoms could be more severe. A study found that smokers are more likely to get flu like sicknesses than non-smokers. Cutting down or quitting smoking during flu season will have positive benefits.
Your physical wellness is important, and so is your financial wellness. If you are experiencing financial-related stress, SeaComm’s partnership with GreenPath Financial Wellness can help! GreenPath provides SeaComm members with access to free one-on-one financial counseling, student loan counseling, debt management services and more. To learn more about how SeaComm’s partnership with GreenPath can help you, click here or call (800) 550-1961.