The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Brown chapter.
With midterm season having begun and the weather beginning to change, that means flu season is right around the corner. There is truly nothing worse than being swamped with work, away from home, and sick. With no parents to take care of you and bring you some chicken noodle soup, you need to learn how to take care of yourself. I am going to provide you with my best tips on how to hopefully prevent getting sick, or if you unfortunately do, how to beat it as quickly as possible. Everything included in this article is my personal opinion and has helped me in the past.
How to avoid getting sick
- This might sound obvious, but it is important to not let yourself forget: do not share drinks with anyone. I know it can be super annoying but it is simply not worth it. If you continue to share drinks with all of your friends, you will be sick 24/7.
- It is important to make sure you prioritize your sleep. There are so many distractions in college and it can be easy to sacrifice sleep first. However, you need to make sure you are getting enough sleep (8 hours a night) to keep a healthy body.
- Wash your hands! Again, obvious. I like to carry around hand sanitizer with me wherever I go. College is a breeding ground for sickness and all the surfaces you touch are touched by hundreds of other people each day.
- Drink water. Your immune system cannot properly function without being hydrated.
- This might be placebo, but I personally think having my air purifier on at all times keeps my air clean and lowers my chances of getting sick!
How to start feeling Healthy
- Stock up on all types of medications before you get sick. I know it is easy to tell yourself you will get it when you need it, but when you feel horrible and CVS is a 10 minute walk away, you are going to be mad at yourself for not having a mini personal pharmacy. I personally like to make sure I have DayQuil/NightQuil, Advil, Tylenol, Sudafed, and Mucinex on hand at all times.
- Buy plenty of tissues (bonus points if they are the ones that have lotion in them).
- Drink lots of water. You will need to stay hydrated to rid yourself of the illness faster.
- Even though you probably will not have an appetite, make sure you are eating.
- Sleep. Sleep. Sleep.
- A good cup of tea with honey makes me feel a million times better.
- Most importantly, do not rush the healing process. If you push yourself too much, your body will not be able to fully recover and your sickness will last longer.