Help your body keep up with you
Dealing with cold and flu season
On top of being on campus around masses of people every day, it also happens to be flu season! How fun! So, while we’re all busy handling schoolwork and jobs, we must also figure out how to keep ourselves from coming down with anything.
Unfortunately, for many of us, getting sick would mean falling behind on a huge number of things: homework, essays, exams, work, etc. So, we must do everything we can to keep those germs at bay.
The first solution might be pretty obvious, but everyone needs a good reminder every once in a while: wash your hands with warm, soapy water. Washing your hands every time you get home is a good habit to develop. Scrub off those outside germs!
The second solution is also quite obvious but something many forget to do: drink lots of liquids, especially those with electrolytes. Flush those germs out and keep your body running properly.
If you have a headache, sure, maybe it’s the first symptom of a head cold, but water always helps. Even when that headache is from extended screentime or lack of sleep, drinking water can help relieve it.
Warm liquids are especially beneficial; if you feel a tickle in your throat, tackle it with some good old-fashioned herbal tea and honey. The best herbal teas for colds include anything with echinacea, lemon, ginger, peppermint, or elderberry. For a sore throat or mucus, gargle with salt water. While the taste might not be great, an unpleasant taste is usually preferable to pain.
If none of these things work, there are some home remedies that can assist your body as it’s working to fight off illness. An easy tincture you can make to help, especially with a common cold, involves combining ingredients like orange and lemon slices and peels, honey, turmeric, ginger, and water in a jar. This combination lasts a while and is incredibly soothing. Just scoop some into your mug and pour hot water over it.
One of the most irritating things about a head cold is, of course, being constantly congested. There are many small methods of getting some relief, at least temporarily, to experiment with. First of all, you can take a large heat-proof bowl, boil some water, pour that water into said bowl, and lean over the bowl with a towel over your head to envelop your face in the steam.
If you’re one for aromatherapy and essential oils, they make soothing additions to that bowl of hot water or a diffuser if you have one available. The best oils for soothing a cold are eucalyptus, peppermint, tea tree, and anything citrus.
Some oils are skin-safe and can be applied topically, such as skin-safe peppermint oil diluted in a homemade chest rub, but you should always do a patch test. As a general rule, however, essential oils should not be ingested, including citrus oil.
Get some vitamin-filled food into your system. Some foods high in Vitamin C include oranges, lemons, and many other fruits and vegetables. Sugary food and drink while you’re sick tend to be counterproductive, however.
Most importantly, though, it is difficult when busy schedules may not allow you to slow down and rest. Get as much quality sleep as you can, and be patient with yourself. Give your body time to fight off whatever is tearing you down. We all know what a strange and fast-paced time of year this is, so remember what your body needs!
