Student Tips To Stop Sickness Before It Starts

By Julia Dunn on July 10, 2016

As students, it’s never a convenient time to be sick. We have too many meetings to make, classes to attend, and more than enough homework to do every day that just can’t be interrupted by a fever or body chills.

The second you feel a raspy throat coming on or a slightly clogged nose, you know your body is telling you, “take care of me! Now!” If you don’t take care of yourself, you risk being out of commission for a few days or even over a week. This means you might get behind in your coursework (unless you force yourself to do it while sick) and out of the loop with your organizations whose meetings you missed.

Noticing the minute you start feeling even the slightest bit sick is so crucial to stopping illness before it really starts. Here are six ways to fend off against a potential cold or flu starting when you first feel a warm forehead or widespread body aches.

Image via Pixabay

1. When you first identify a symptom, immediately take action to slow yourself down.

Treating symptoms in their preliminary stages is key to avoiding sickness. Ignoring them will only allow your body to get sicker, making for a longer recovery time. The instant you feel even a little under the weather, slow yourself down in whatever capacity you can.

If you have a packed schedule for the rest of the day, see if you can shorten a few meetings or reschedule that coffee date with your friend. Make necessary schedule changes to accommodate your physical well-being so that you can go home and rest.

2. Get extra sleep the night that you realize your depleting energy.

On the day you notice your energy depleting, make an effort to add two or even three hours onto your usual sleep duration that night. If you normally sleep from 1 a.m. until 8 a.m., sleeping from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. will give your body time to replenish and strengthen your immune system. Getting this extra sleep sooner rather than later will again reduce the chances of you getting full-on sick.

3. Amp up your fruit and vegetable intake.

Spaghetti 24/7 won’t do much in the way of strengthening your immune system, I’m sad to say. If you’re wondering what to eat when you aren’t feeling well, you can’t go wrong with nutrient-filled fruits and vegetables! Round up as many citrus fruits as you can and make a fresh feast for yourself with fresh produce. You’ll notice that this good food may improve your mood as well.

P.S. Drink lots and lots of water!

4. Don’t overexert yourself.

Skip the errands you were going to do today and hang out in bed with a cup of tea. You have all the time in the world to buy a new hairbrush and pick up those packages, so take today to ward off your illness in advance so you aren’t inconvenienced later for a longer period of time.

5. Use medicine to your advantage.

Before more than 1 or 2 symptoms arise, stock up on Airborne or Emergen-C to make fizzy drinks filled with vitamins and antioxidants. These supplements are great because they don’t contain harsh ingredients like other medicines may, and instead they are packed with elements like zinc to help you fight whatever virus or pathogen may be trying to invade your body.

These supplements come in chewable tablets or fizzy drink tablets, so you can even take them to go in case you feel sick at school or work and need an instant boost. These products taste like delicious berries and oranges, so give them a try!

Image via Pixabay

6. Avoid toxic people and environments.

When you’re on the verge of getting sick, your mental state is just as important as your physical state; this means you should try to stay away from people in your life who typically leave you feeling drained after you interact with them. Maybe it’s a family member who often puts you down, or an acquaintance that has a way of taking up a lot of your time when you would rather just leave. Why would you want to be around negativity when you already don’t feel well? Make sure to spend your energy on resting and fueling your body until you’re feeling better.

The best way to avoid sickness is to stay aware of how your body feels at all times. Even if you aren’t sure that you’re getting sick, it won’t hurt to eat an orange or two if you find yourself with a runny nose on a given day. Taking precautionary steps against a potential cold can make all the difference in keeping yourself healthy and minimizing the chance of you missing several days of work, classes or meetings.

Students can’t afford to compromise their health for a busy college schedule, and it’s much easier to stop sickness before it sinks in than to fend it off once you’re already feeling low. Stay healthy!

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