5 Easy Things You Can Do to Avoid Colds & Flu

Working through cold and flu seasons isn’t easy—you’re either trying to avoid sick coworkers or trying not to get others sick. Staying home may not be an option, so we want to help you try and avoid catching a cold or flu with these easy-to-follow tips.

1. Wash your hands.

Germs are spread by contact with people and surfaces, and surfaces can hold germs and viruses for quite some time. Washing your hands frequently during cold and flu season is one of the most important preventive steps you can take to stay healthy. Wash your hands before you eat, after you blow your nose, before and after you work on your computer, and after you touch doors, door knobs and elevator buttons. Use hand sanitizer or wipes when you’re not near a sink.

2. Don’t shake hands.

Shaking hands is a generations-old custom, yet too many people still cough and sneeze into their hands, meaning they can transfer viruses and bacteria to you with a friendly handshake. If not shaking hands is too awkward, then wash your hands or use hand sanitizer discreetly afterward.

3. Stop touching your face.

We’d probably all be surprised by the number of times a day we touch somewhere on our face—to scratch an itch, rub an eye, wipe a crumb from our lips and more. The most common places for germs to enter is your nose and your eyes, so paying more attention to these habits can pay off. If you have to rub your eyes or take out a contact lens, wash your hands first.

4. Be smart at group food events.

Sharing food with others often brings us closer together as friends and colleagues, but beware of double dippers who bite their food then dip back in a communal bowl or people who lick their fingers and then put their hand back in a bowl to get more chips. Put dips and chips on your plate, instead, before anyone has dipped into the bowl to be safe. Stay away from foods that may be too easy to contaminate.

5. Wipe down your workstation.

Our desks and workstations, as well as the small kitchens at work, can be riddled with germs and harmful bacteria. Recent research noted that office desks can contain 400 times more germs than a toilet seat! Wipe your work area daily or at least once a week. Be extra diligent about cleaning when you are sick.

Talk to your doctor about getting a flu shot too. It may help you avoid the flu or at least lessen the severity of the flu if you do get sick. You can also use BC® Cough & Cold powder to help relieve cold and flu symptoms and BC® Sinus Congestion & Pain to help relieve congestion and sinus headaches from colds and flu.