You can’t control the fact that you have to work to earn money. Another thing you can’t control? The office environment in which you earn that money. Sometimes, this inability to control your office environment can feel rather frustrating as you hear everyone around you slowly coming down with the flu. Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to help avoid contracting the illness yourself, allowing you to continue to work at full strength.
Though there is considerable debate when it comes to the flu vaccine, the fact is that receiving the vaccine is a good idea, especially when you work in a crowded office environment. Though a vaccine doesn’t guarantee that you won’t get sick, it does provide a certain level of insurance that can help provide the confidence you need to face your office environment on a daily basis.
Though “burning the candle at both ends” may allow you to get more done in the short-term, it does nothing to help you avoid the flu in the long-term. Adequate sleep is one of your body’s best ways to heal and renew itself. Without this time to rejuvenate, then, you weaken your immune system, meaning it will be more difficult for your body to fight off potential germ invaders.
Touching your face is one of the worst habits you can form, whether it’s flu season or any other team of the year. With your eyes, nose, and mouth all located on your face, any touch provides multiple opportunities for germs to slip past your outer-most defense system: your skin. Even if you’ve just washed your hands, it’s good to stay in the habit of avoiding your face to ensure your hands never wander when it truly counts.
A great way to control the spread of germs is to kill them before they have a chance to enter your body. That’s why it’s important to disinfect everything in sight as often as you can. Whether it’s your phone, your desk, or your doorknob, it’s important to wipe these surfaces down a few times a day. Did you know the equipment on your desk might be dirtier than the toilet seats in the bathroom? On that note, it’s a good idea to have a large bottle of hand sanitizer within easy reach so you can sanitize your hands, as well.
While wiping down your own desk with disinfectant is a smart idea, it is important that the rest of the office is cleaned too. A healthy place to work should be cleaned weekly, if not daily, by a professionally trained cleaning staff. Typically, companies with office spaces will hire an outside office cleaning service to come in on a regular basis. If your does not, pass the suggestion along to management. A clean workspace keeps employees productive and healthy.
If you do notice that you’re beginning to get sick, it’s important to take extra-good care of yourself during these early stages. This is the time when you have the best chance of fighting off an illness and preventing it from becoming worse. If you notice you’re under the weather, then, take extra time to rest and be sure to eat foods that are high in vitamins that will help your body fight off the germs.
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