How to Avoid the Flu & Stop Getting Sick Frequently

Sponsored by simplehuman. All opinions are my own.

In my childhood and through my teens, I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that I was sitting at home sick several days out of each and every month. I always used up my allotted number of “absences” I was allowed to take from school before they’d fail me, and almost switched to independent study because I was so used to following the curriculum by myself at home!

Catching a common cold, being hit with the flu, and getting sick frequently not only takes a toll on your body, but it slows you down from your goals, social life and your hustle. As I got older, I had absolutely no time for that! Between classes, clubs, work and my social life, getting sick was getting old really fast.

At this point in my life, I get sick only 1-2 times a year… no flu shot needed. I just incorporated three new habits, and my downtime was dramatically decreased. Check out these tips on how to avoid the flu this season and stop getting sick frequently that are actually incredibly easy to live by.

1. Drink More Water

I preach drinking water on the regular here on the blog, but upping my water intake seriously made a difference in my life when it came to my health. When I got to college, I was addicted to diet soda. I’m not exaggerating— I would wake up in the middle of the night craving it. When I met my husband, he was actually weirded out that I drank more soda than I did water. With his encouragement, I started working more water into my diet, carrying around cute refillable water bottles to keep myself on track. I immediately noticed within the next several months how much healthier I felt, and how I wasn’t getting everyone else’s colds. Now, it is extremely rare you’ll find a soda in my hand. Besides the occasional glass of wine with my girls, water is always my beverage of choice at home and in restaurants.

2. Stop Touching Things

Once you start actually paying attention to how much you touch throughout the day, you might reach for the hand sanitizer ASAP. From an office keyboard, to the doors of a public restroom, to the gas pump… you’re coming in contact with a ton of germs gone wild. But even in your own home, you can be a little more conscious about places germs thrive. A couple of changes we’ve made is incorporating no-touch trash cans. We used to have a revolving lid can, which forced contact with the lid to toss something… and I probably wasn’t wiping down that lid as often as necessary to really keep it clean. We recently upgraded to the simplehuman rectangular sensor can. Not only does it totally elevate the look of our kitchen, but it opens by motion sensor or voice control— no touch needed by hands or feet (yeah, I already have a thing about dirty feet so I can’t do step cans)! On top of that, the can has anti-microbial coating that shields it from mold and mildew, keeping it germ-free and cleaner (and fingerprint free!).

We’ve also replaced our soap pump with the simplehuman rechargeable sensor pump, and I’m already obsessed with it. It dispenses soap without having to push down on anything while your hands are dirty! It also gives you an option as to how much soap you’d like it to dispense, depending on your hand placement. I immediately want to get multiples for the rest of the bathrooms & kitchen. On a traditional soap dispenser, you’re touching the same spot over and over again with dirty hands… am I the only one who thinks that’s nasty, both in the bathroom and during food prep in the kitchen?!

3. Keep Your Hands Away from Your Face

This one may be the hardest to tackle because it probably happens when you’re not paying attention. Personally, I bit my nails for 16 years of my life which played a big part in how my environment’s germs got into my system. But even actions like leaning on your hand at a table, applying lip balm with your fingers, or other random touching can be enough to transfer whatever you’ve come in contact with. One way I’ve reminded myself to keep my hands away from my face is using a hand lotion that has a detectable fragrance if I’m close enough. When I smell the scent, it reminds me my hands should not be that close to my face without washing them!

Do you have any tricks to avoid the flu and colds?