The buzz of the holiday season is concluded for yet another year. The hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, seemingly never ending merriment, and feast preparations have come to a sudden halt. It’s post-holiday crash time!
When everything is speedily buzzing along, you tend to run on reserves—burning the candle at both ends. It’s not until after all the madness settles down and routine takes hold once again that you have time to notice YOU. You’re tired. No, you’re exhausted. And if you’ve neglected yourself (compromised your immune system) for the sake of creating a happy holiday, you’ve most likely increased your risks of coming down with the flu.
Here are a few tips for helping you ward off the flu.
Don’t Suppress Your Feelings. Communication, even a constructive argument, can increase immunity, say UCLA researchers. Discussing problems can raise blood pressure, heart rate, and immune-related white blood cells, all of which are similar to the benefits of moderate exercise. However, researchers also observed that couples who used sarcasm, insults, and put-downs had fewer virus-fighting natural killer cells, higher levels of stress hormones, and take up to 40% longer to recover from injuries than those who stayed positive and affectionate during quarrels. Likewise, people who tend to keep their feelings and opinions bottled up have less active killer T cells than those who are comfortable with expressing themselves.
Carry Your Own Pens. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to cut back on your exposure to flu germs is to always have your pen available.
Button Up and Take A Stroll. One in four American women don’t exercise at all. Why walk when we can drive everywhere we need to go? Researchers found that inactive people compared to active people (folks who walked briskly for at least 30 minutes a day) took twice as many sick days. Walking for a minimum of 30 minutes a day is enough to sweep white cells back into circulation, helping to boost your immune system.
Lighten Up! Take a Laugh Break. Take a few minutes to surf funny videos on YouTube, read the funnies, or listen to your favorite comedic radio channel. Laughter reduces stress hormones and increases certain immune cells while activating others.
Add Green to Your Plate. Green veggies are packed with vitamins and minerals, helping to keep your immune system strong. If you’ve overloaded on cookies and sweets over the holidays, adding a little extra green to your plate will help rejuvenate your body.
Additional ISM resources of interest
Private School News Vol. 9 No. 1 Home Remedies That Might Interact With Your Prescriptions
Private School News Vol. 9 No. 3 Spring Is Here … and So Is Hay Fever
Private School News Vol. 8 No. 2 Top Ten Vaccines for Teenagers
