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Happy autumn, Blue Jays! While the leaves falling down and the chillier weather are exciting, this is also a time where many students get sick. Whether it be a fever, headache, or sore throat, catching an illness is not a fun time. To try and avoid this, here are a few tips from me on how to not get sick and how to recover quickly if you do.
To prevent sickness:
1) Drink water
Sounds cliche, I know. But the #1 thing you can do, in my opinion, to stay healthy is consume lots of fluids, preferably room temperature or heated. Drinking water has SO many benefits, and it’s free.
a. Kidney health
Trust me, you want your kidneys to be healthy no matter what. Kidney stones are about the most painful things you can experience.
b. Metabolism
Fills up your stomach and helps regulate your metabolism and temperature. Water prevents overeating and maintains balance of body fluids.
c. Skin health
Drinking water keeps your skin looking glowy and soft.
d. Digestion
Feeling bloated? Drink hot water! This acts as a lubricant for your organs and heats you up from the inside.
e. Keeps you warm
Drinking warm or hot water combats the cold weather. This in itself keeps you from getting sick.
2) Layer up
Remember when you were a kid and your mom always told you to bring an extra jacket? This might’ve been annoying at the time, but she was right. It’s always a good idea to layer up, and it’s much better to err on the side of too hot instead of too cold. You can always remove layers but you can’t add them if you didn’t bring them!
Some ways to do this are:
– Layering leggings underneath baggy jeans
– Layering long sleeves or turtlenecks underneath sweaters, crewnecks, or hoodies
– Always bringing an extra jacket
3) Get enough sleep
I’m lucky enough to be in Introduction to Psychology (shoutout Chaz Firestone the goat), and this past week we learned about the vast importance of sleep. In fact, sleep is more effective for concentration than caffeine and the abuse of stimulants such as Adderall. Getting enough sleep helps your immune system because it gives it enough energy to fight a potential illness. Feeling happier and more well rested after sleep can also improve overall health.
If you do get sick, here are some ways to ensure a speedy recovery:
1) Drink ginger tea!!
This was a tip made by my mom, who always made this whenever my siblings and I got sick. She would boil cut up ginger with water, and we would drink the spicy concoction, bundle up and fall asleep sweating. Although this sounds odd, it has always worked. I don’t know how feasible this is in a dorm room, although it’s possible that Charles Street Market sells ginger.
2) Gargle salt water
This tip works best if you have a sore throat. Have you ever woken up and swallowed and it hurt? Terrible experience. Mix about 1 teaspoon of salt into warm water and gargle for 30-60 seconds for temporary relief.
3) Bundle up
Always dress more heavily than you should. Sweating helps the illness go away, and staying warm is a top priority. Do not go outside with wet hair, and try to cover your body with hats (like a beanie) and scarves or turtlenecks. Wear gloves and long socks as well.
Please take care of yourselves!! Remember, your health is always a top priority over anything else. If you feel something is wrong, get it checked out before it is too late. There are plenty of free resources provided to you on campus that are waiting to be utilized. I hope these tips are helpful, and I wish you guys the best of luck this flu season.
