The days and weeks following the annual silly-season can always be a bit of a drag. But never more so if you happen to be one of millions who every January like clockwork come down with a bout of the sniffles.
Working in an office environment surrounding coughing and sneezing colleagues can certainly make you think you’re fighting a losing battle. In reality though, there’s plenty you can do to significantly reduce your own likelihood of succumbing to colds, bugs, viruses and infections that spread around offices like wildfire.
The key, as with many things, lies in enhanced cleanliness and good hygiene.
Hand Washing
For example, however frequently you currently wash your hands throughout the average working day, you need to think about stepping things up even further. There’s a good chance that pretty much everything your hands come into contact with around the office could be laden with the germs, bugs and bacteria that are out to get you sick. If you’d rather they didn’t, you need to take hand-washing to a more advanced level.
Hand Sanitiser
The same also goes for alcohol-based hand sanitisers too – something you really can’t use too much of. If you can get into the habit of using the stuff throughout the day…especially before eating and drinking…you’ll significantly reduce the likelihood of the nasty stuff finding its way into your body.
Workstation Cleaning
Given the amount of unpleasantness floating around in the air itself, it’s inevitable that quite a bit of it is going to make its way onto your desk or workstation. Where it will remain a threat for quite a while, or until you make with the sanitising products and give your station a good wipe-down. It takes just a few seconds here and there, though has the potential to add up to an incredible difference.
Hydrate
Drinking plenty of water can certainly help, as any kind of dehydration even at a low level can increase the likelihood you’ll contract something unpleasant. And while you’re drinking plenty of water, be sure to pop those essential vitamin tablets every day to keep your immune system topped up.
Sharing
Christmas might be the season for sharing, but as it’s already a distant memory, feel free to put a stop to it. Which you probably should. Smartphones, tablet PCs, pens, pencils, cups, office supplies and pretty much anything else around the place, think carefully who might have used it and sneezed/coughed all over it. If you need to share, make with the sanitiser once again.
Up and Out
Taking regular breaks throughout the day to leave the office, take a walk and get at least a bit of fresh air can also make a big difference when it comes to avoiding office colds and other winter bugs. So if you’re not in the habit of getting up and out on a regular basis throughout the day, you might want to think about getting into it.
Stay Home
Last but not least, don’t go trying to be a hero of some kind and insist on going to work when you know you’re under the weather. If everyone with a winter bug stayed home as long as necessary, most people around the office would be spared catching them in the first place. You might think you’re doing everyone a favour by being brave, but in reality the exact opposite is true!