Let's be frank... getting sick is the worst. While most business do their best to keep their offices clean and sanitized, offices are an easy breeding ground for colds and sickness. Here are 4 easy ways to help keep you healthy.
Make sure you’re getting enough sleep.
- Getting adequate sleep is extremely important if you’ve been exposed to a virus, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
- It has been shown that people who slept a minimum of eight hours each night over a two-week period showed a greater resistance to the virus. Those who slept seven hours or less each night were about three percent more likely to develop the virus after exposure.
- One reason may be that the body releases cytokines during extended periods of sleep. Cytokines are a type of protein. They help the body fight infection by regulating the immune system.
Keep hand sanitizer and sanitizing wipes at your desk.
- Sanitize your computer mouse, your keyboard, your desk drawers, and commonly touched surfaces at the beginning and end of each day to be safe. Also, wash your hands frequently throughout the day.
Get some exercise.
- Staying active by following a regular exercise routine — such as walking three times a week — does more than keep you fit and trim. According to a study published in the journal Neurologic Clinicians, regular exercise also:
- keeps inflammation and chronic disease at bay
- reduces stress and the release of stress-related hormones
- accelerates the circulation of disease-fighting white blood cells (WBCs), which helps the body fight the common cold
Eat your fruits and veggies.
- Green, leafy vegetables are rich in vitamins that help you maintain a balanced diet — and support a healthy immune system.
- Vitamin C may help protect the body against oxidative stress, and that helps support immune function.