How to Stay Healthy at the Office

by Hava Lyon | More from this Blogger

15 Jan 2007 10:31 PM

I work in an office where people tramp in and out all day long. Employees, clients, and random people with nothing better to do (I've had a couple of those in the last week) all come down to the office to talk, which is fine, of course, except when they leave "presents" behind--those nasty things called germs. I have already been yucky sick this winter when I got a bad case of bronchitis and laryngitis. I was out of work for two days, which isn't an experience I want to live through again any time soon. Problems are not solved in my absence, they are simply pushed to the back burner until I come back into the office so they can all fall on my head and bury me alive. Even worse, I know this is going to happen, so I spend my time sick at home worried about what is going on at work. Can anyone say "workaholic"?

So I have devised a new strategy: I am not going to get sick again. Preferably never again in my whole life, but I'll settle for the rest of this winter. The first line of my defense is going to be getting a good night's sleep each night. Eight hours of sleep each night works wonders on your immune system. No, I don't have any kids, why do you ask? :-P

Second is going to be taking a multi-vitamin each morning. I always think "I should do that" but honestly, it's gotten to the point where it is no longer a "should" but a "must" sort of thing. I cannot afford to get sick, and I have to do this to stay healthy, so it's suddenly become mandatory. I have seen children's vitamins that are these chewy gummy bear candy-like things, and I am thinking that I should check those out. I'm sure I can manage to remember to eat candy every morning.

The last line of defense is something I just picked up, and I picked it up because of the laryngitis/bronchitis attack. It's called Airborne, which is something a teacher invented after getting sick and tired of being sick and tired all the time. So every time I've had even the slightest sniffle, I have dropped one of the tablets in about a cup of cold water, let it dissolve, and then drank it down to the last drop. It tastes great to me, like a combination between Tang (not quite as sweet though) and 7Up. Again, something fun to drink, which helps with the whole "remembering" part. Things are much easier to remember when you actually want to eat/swallow/drink them. Strange how that works...

Anyone have their own idea on how to stay healthy even when everyone else is dropping like flies? I would love to hear your ideas and your remedies below.

Here's to staying healthy in 2007!

Learn more about Hava Lyon

Hello, my name is Hava or Havs (depending on my mood and yours!) I am a freelance writer who writes for several blogs, both paid ones such as this one, and personal blogs.

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jbishop012 (26) 16 Jan 2007 07:19 AM

G works around people all the time and so she gets sick frequently. Unfortunately, it means that she brings it home to me and right now I'm starting to get something she's just barely getting over. I'll force her to read this article and make her not get me sick again. Wow, that last sentence was convoluted.

I also took Airborne this morning and hope it works. I've only tried it once before (about a year ago) and it didn't seem to help. Today's the first day of the semester! I can't be getting sick now!

Kori Rodley Irons (8277) 17 Jan 2007 12:05 PM

I'm a big big believer in the classics--neurotic hand washing, and lots of vitamin C--I bring oranges and other citrus fruits to work every day to munch on during the winter. And, I confess I use a disinfectant spray on my own telephone at work--just in case someone uses it or picks it up (which does happen).

Hava Lyon (1545) 17 Jan 2007 09:01 PM

Josh, I take Airborne in the evening and the morning when I feel like I could be coming down with something, and thus far it seems to have helped. I felt pretty cruddy yesterday, but I didn't actually get sick--this morning, I woke up feeling just fine. So maybe it really does help, who knows. Doug was also getting sick, but I made him drink Airborne and he too is feeling better. Maybe it's in our heads, who knows...

Kori, I just bought some oranges tonight to bring to work. Great minds and all that. Hopefully I can make it the rest of the winter without the sniffles--wouldn't that just be grand?!!

Havs