5 Tips to avoid the seasonal flu

I love the winter. I am not a fan of sweating and the incessant heat of St Louis, so winter is a time I enjoy. What I really don’t enjoy about the winter season though is the seasonal colds and flu that come with it.  I have had an ear infection, bronchitis, and a respiratory infection already this winter. My kids and husband are on the same path. It can be a brutal time of year for many people as far as their health is concerned.

I compiled a list of tips to avoid the seasonal flu. Believe me, you want to avoid it! The flu this year is putting many people in the hospital and you could be next. Take these steps to ensure you are healthy and safe from the seasonal flu.

This is a sponsored post for SheSpeaks/P&G. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 Tips to Avoid the Seasonal Flu

1. Wash your hands. There really is no better way to stop the spread of disease. Trust me on that. You touch so many things during the day… more than you probably realize. From your doorknobs, the shopping cart at the store, the gas pump, the pen at the bank, the pin pad at the checkout… so many things! Washing your hands helps to keep those inevitable contact with germs from causing health problems. Using hand sanitizer, washing your hands with warm water and soap, or using sanitizing wipes will all help to cut down on the exposure to infectious germs.

2. Sanitize your belongings with sanitizing wipes or spray. Just like your hands, the items you use everyday come in contact with germs too, often from you! Grab a sanitizing wipe and use it on your keyboard, your cell phone, your purse, your steering wheel, your car radio, and anything else you tend to touch a lot. Spray your doorknobs, faucets, fridge handle, or other surfaces. This will helps keep those germs at bay.

3. Drink a lot of water and eat healthy. Drinking water and eating healthy are important to your overall health. By doing these two things, you are giving your body a jumpstart on healthy habits and the ability to fight the germs you come in contact with daily.

4. Get enough sleep. Sleep is vital to your overall health as well. Have you ever paid attention to how horrible you feel when you don’t sleep well? Sleep is necessary for your body to heal and repair the body’s cells. Keeping a sleep schedule is a good way to ensure you get enough rest every night. Besides an everyday need for sleep, be sure to get a bit more when you start to feel under the weather.

5. Be prepared in case you do feel ill. We are all aware that this is a season for illness. It only takes a few minutes of watching the nightly news or a glance at the newspaper to see how many people are affected by the seasonal flu this year. One of the best and easiest things you can do is avoid those that are sick. I know this isn’t as easy if those sick are in your family but practicing good hand washing and sanitizing are helpful in those instances. The other thing that is important is having medication on hand to help you out in case you do feel ill. Tackling those symptoms right away will help decrease the amount of time you are ill.

Having a product that helps you during the day and at night is a huge bonus. I have been using Vicks DayQuil Severe Cold and Flu and NyQuil Severe Cold and Flu to help me get through my cough, cold, and flu symptoms.  Why? Well it provides relief for a number of symptoms! Both help with nasal congestion, sinus congestion and pressure, cough, minor aches and pains, headache, fever, sore throat, runny nose and sneezing, and promote nasal and/or sinus drainage. The Vicks NyQuil formula provides help with the cough that may keep you up at night. The Vicks DayQuil formula helps loosen the mucus and bronchial secretions to make your cough more productive during the day.

These two medications have made a world of difference in my path to wellness again. What is great about them is that they are available over the counter and, even better, available where I shop often; Walmart! When I was feeling ill, I was able to get everything I needed in one place. Walmart had all the ingredients for the chicken soup I was wanting, the Vicks Severe formulas and the tissues I needed for my runny nose.

Being sick is no fun at all. But, taking steps to avoid getting the flu and being prepared for the illness you may get can make things easier.

How do you avoid getting the seasonal flu? Has you or your family been ill from it yet this year?