Ways to Stay Well at Work

People seem to be getting sick a lot this winter. My 1-year-old son has had one bug or another for weeks, everyone I know has a cold or the stomach flu, and I’m just knocking on wood that I stay well. Among other factors, the cooped-up environment of an office in winter is a breeding ground for germs, meaning illnesses can make the rounds quite easily.

 

But besides relying on luck or superstition, you can take other steps to help ward off getting sick. According to this article, the best way to stay healthy is, of course, to keep washing your hands. But here are three other healthy nuggets of wisdom you may have heard before but bear repeating:

 

·         Stay three feet away from your coworkers. “If you had X-ray vision, you would see a cloud of viruses around them,” says Dr. William Schaffner, professor and chair of the Vanderbilt Department of Preventive Medicine and vice president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases in the article. “Every time they exhale, respiratory viruses come out, extending about three feet, creating a cloud around them.” But despite your best efforts to avoid germs, keep in mind your coworkers are most contagious the 24 hours before they know they’re sick.   

 

·         Keep your hands away from your face.

·         Try a holistic health approach: Take a multivitamin, get enough sleep and exercise.

 

If all this fails, do everyone, including yourself, a favor and stay home. Presenteeism, or coming to work sick, will just spread more germs.

 

Got more tips on avoiding the latest workplace bug? Leave them below in the comments. And if you want more information on staying well at work, here are some Monster resources on the subject:

 

·         “Don’t Work Yourself Sick”

·         From the Monster Blog: “Working Sick: Come to the Office or Stay Home?”

·         From the Monster Blog: “The Fight Against Germs in the Workplace”

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