Reduce Your Risks During the Flu Season

While the allergy season may have come and gone for the time being, the cold and flu season is quickly approaching. When winter comes, and we all spend more days cooped up indoors together, the opportunities for spreading our little bugs from one person to the next increase exponentially. You can almost hear it migrating from office to office. First comes the sniffing and a hacking cough, followed by the sneezes and the wheezes. You know you're susceptible, but you always figure it will miss you this year, and then...Wham!...your nose is congested, your throat is sore, your stomach is upset, and your temperature is slightly above normal. You've got the flu!

Well, if you want to improve your chances of staying away from the old flu virus this year, you might consider using a few precautionary measures around the workplace. Most of these are just reminders to you, however, because they are things that our mothers taught when we were back in grade school.

1. Wash your hands frequently. One of the easiest ways for the flu virus to spread is by contact, and since you handle the same ink pens and monthly reports that twelve others in the office do, you're bound to be sharing germs back and forth. You probably already wash your hands when you use the restrooms, but go the extra mile and scrub a couple more times during each work shift.

2. Avoid the doorknobs as much as possible. This may not be totally controllable, but if you are going through a push-open door, where you can open it with your elbow, your shoulder, or the back of your closed fist, this is far better than placing your open hand on the same spot that everyone else has. The flu bug has no better friend than a frequently used door handle.