After a spike in COVID-19 cases on Colgate’s campus, a new policy mandates that masks be worn in all indoor spaces regardless of vaccination status. As a result, COVID-19 cases have declined rapidly; however, it seems as though the entire student population has collectively caught the cold/flu spreading around campus. If you yourself haven’t caught it, you’ve most definitely heard people blowing their noses in class and coughing in the library. Students have been suffering from sore throats, congestion, headaches, and most prominently, the infamous “Colgate cough”. It’s easy to get sick in college from the dorm lifestyle, communal bathrooms, and mass amounts of people.
Here are three tips to avoid this:
- Get those ZZZ’s
Although it might not seem like there’s a correlation between sleep and health, getting an adequate amount of sleep each night will allow you to sustain a healthy immune system. Sleep is one of the things college students sacrifice, whether that’s from late library nights or going out with friends on the weekends. Getting enough sleep is not always a priority in college, but if you want to keep a strong immune system, figuring out a consistent sleep schedule is a good start.
- Slow down when you feel sickness emerging
College students are constantly on the move, playing sports, and going to social events. However, when you start to feel a cold coming on, pace yourself. Most students don’t know how to adequately take care of themselves when they are mildly sick, so if you’re beginning to feel symptoms–it’s your body’s sign to slow down your daily routine, hydrate yourself, and maybe think twice about going out to that party tonight.
- Stay as stress free as possible
Colgate’s rigorous courses can make it challenging to go a day without feeling stressed. It’s crucial to find time to destress, whatever that may look like for you. Go for a walk on Willow Path, listen to a podcast, treat yourself to a lunch at Fojo Beans or a bagel from Flour and Salt. Staying frequently uptight and letting yourself get worn down will make you more prone to illness, so it’s important to find time for yourself to stay physically and mentally healthy.