It would be fair to say that our office has been completely decimated this month with a multitude of illness; whether it is the team or their respective other halves and kids. The flu strains seem to be meaner than ever this year … so if you are on the verge of the dreaded man-flu (or flu, as we like to call it) what can you do?
Before it even begins:
You know the drill. Eat nutritious food, reduce stress, get ample sleep and exercise regularly. When exercise is repeated on a near daily basis, your white blood cells (the ones that fight infection) move more quickly through the body, fighting bacteria and viruses much more efficiently.
The build-up:
If you have ignored "before it even begins" and haven't taken care of yourself in recent weeks, you may be a little run down.
Feeling a wee bit off? Have that razor feeling in your throat? Now is your last chance to head the germs off at the pass. Race to the chemist and get hold of some Lypo-Spheric sachets. This tiny 5ml sachet of sludge packs a real vitamin c punch, and will help you fight off the lurgy. Wash it down with some hot tea laced with honey to sooth your throat.
Now is a great time to have a quiet weekend (even if it is only Wednesday). Lounge around for a day, eat some chicken soup and recharge for a bit.
It's all down hill from here:
So you went to work anyway. You had to go, or the sky would fall in - but now, you are sick. Sure, you may think you are actually dying, your hair might just be hurting, and your appetite is zilch, but there is nothing you can do to magically make it all disappear, because here's the bad news...there is no cure. Your only plan of attack at this point is to treat the symptoms - paracetamol or ibuprofen for the fever and pain and a decongestant for the yucky bits that are pouring out of your eyes, nose and lungs.
When you get fully desperate, try some of the weird (not tried and tested) flu remedies on the net like:
Put a bowl of onions in your room (it's not like you can smell it anyway!)
Put ice cubes in your armpits (really?!)
Wear cold wet socks (don't. Just don't)
Eat chocolate (can't argue with that)
Stay home. Your team won't thank you for coming in and spluttering around, looking miserable and sniffing up a storm. Also, if you don't stop at this point, you risk developing complications that lead on to infections, antibiotics, and a whole lot more time off work.
Recover:
You know the drill (can you see where this is going??). Eat nutritious food, reduce stress, get ample sleep and exercise regularly. When exercise is repeated on a near daily basis, your white blood cells (the ones that fight infection) move more quickly through the body, fighting bacteria and viruses much more efficiently. (Yep, this is the same as before it even begins)
It's true, common ills are just a fact of life - but if you look after yourself you can actually reduce the impact they have on your day to day life.
