Spring Break
How to: stay healthy during flu season
Melissa Oribhabor
Issue date: 9/7/09 Section: Culture
Flu season is right around the corner and it is getting a head-start.
With school back in session, the stage is set for spreading communicable diseases.
With the Swine Flu working its way through the Midwest, protecting yourself should become a top priority.
Here are a few steps to take to keep yourself healthy and improve your overall well-being.
Be reasonable
This should apply year-round, but even more-so during the fall and early-winter holidays.
These next few months are packed with Halloween candy, holiday cookies, pies and all sorts of other goodies.
Not only do these pack on the pounds, but they lack a variety of nutrients.
You don't need to skip them altogether, just try to balance treats with a well-rounded, healthy diet to help keep your immunities up.
Wash your hands
And actually do it for real. Splashing water on the back of your hands for a couple seconds is not going to keep the germs away.
You need to scrub with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds and wash between your fingers for maximum germ-fighting results.
Nap like you did in preschool
Not getting enough sleep can make you more susceptible to illness.
Try to catch a few extra minutes when you can. It's even OK to sleep when the sun is out.
Don't sneeze or cough into your hands
Sneeze on your arm or down your shirt instead. But don't think it is OK to cough into your hand, wipe it on your pant leg and then start touching door knobs and shaking hands, because it's not.
It just passes your germs along to every single person that comes in contact with the things you touched.
Calm down
College can be a very stressful time, whether it's because you're a freshman leaving home, a senior trying to graduate or just someone trying to balance school, work, a relationship, Greek life and a dog.
Whatever the reason, find a way to reduce stress and relax.
Try something that is fun and not an obligation.
Yoga or other sports are great to release some endorphins and relieve stress. It's okay to chill out and take some "me" time.
Getting sick can sidetrack your plans and throw you off-tilt for a couple of days, and no one wants that. So take care of yourself.
And if you do happen to get the flu, stay home rather than trying to tough it out.
Going to class sick will just spread the germs around, and it's awfully hard to concentrate when you feel terrible.
E-mail your professor, stay in bed and have some soup.
Your body - and the rest of the campus - will be very thankful.
moribhabor@unews.com
With school back in session, the stage is set for spreading communicable diseases.
With the Swine Flu working its way through the Midwest, protecting yourself should become a top priority.
Here are a few steps to take to keep yourself healthy and improve your overall well-being.
Be reasonable
This should apply year-round, but even more-so during the fall and early-winter holidays.
These next few months are packed with Halloween candy, holiday cookies, pies and all sorts of other goodies.
Not only do these pack on the pounds, but they lack a variety of nutrients.
You don't need to skip them altogether, just try to balance treats with a well-rounded, healthy diet to help keep your immunities up.
Wash your hands
And actually do it for real. Splashing water on the back of your hands for a couple seconds is not going to keep the germs away.
You need to scrub with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds and wash between your fingers for maximum germ-fighting results.
Nap like you did in preschool
Not getting enough sleep can make you more susceptible to illness.
Try to catch a few extra minutes when you can. It's even OK to sleep when the sun is out.
Don't sneeze or cough into your hands
Sneeze on your arm or down your shirt instead. But don't think it is OK to cough into your hand, wipe it on your pant leg and then start touching door knobs and shaking hands, because it's not.
It just passes your germs along to every single person that comes in contact with the things you touched.
Calm down
College can be a very stressful time, whether it's because you're a freshman leaving home, a senior trying to graduate or just someone trying to balance school, work, a relationship, Greek life and a dog.
Whatever the reason, find a way to reduce stress and relax.
Try something that is fun and not an obligation.
Yoga or other sports are great to release some endorphins and relieve stress. It's okay to chill out and take some "me" time.
Getting sick can sidetrack your plans and throw you off-tilt for a couple of days, and no one wants that. So take care of yourself.
And if you do happen to get the flu, stay home rather than trying to tough it out.
Going to class sick will just spread the germs around, and it's awfully hard to concentrate when you feel terrible.
E-mail your professor, stay in bed and have some soup.
Your body - and the rest of the campus - will be very thankful.
moribhabor@unews.com
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