If You Do These ten things, You’ll Get Sick Much Less Often.
Are you washing your hands correctly and at the right times?
How long do you need to soap your hands before they are clean of bacteria?
20 seconds! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we should wet and then soap our hands for a full twenty seconds. That doesn’t sound like it is long, but it is the same amount of time that it takes to quickly sing yourself happy birthday twice.
Few people take enough time to soap their hands, and even fewer are sure to soap the backs of their hands, between their fingers, and their nails. Are you?
The last step in effective hand washing is to rinse all the soap off your hands. Soap is attracted to dirt and oil. Soap molecules encircle the dirt, oil, and germs on your hands, and the water washes the captured bacteria off your skin.
Sure, you know you should wash your hands after using the restroom and before you eat. Are you doing it?
You’ll get sick much less often if you wash your hands after using the restroom and before you eat anything, but also:
After handling money or after being out shopping After handling dirty laundry After caring for someone ill After handling pet food, pet waste, garbage, or changing a diaper Before cleaning a wound and afterward too After you handle raw meat or eggs Before making any food
Did you know that up to eighty percent of all infections occur due to contamination of your hands? (1). Start regular handwashing to decrease your risk of infection.
Yikes! Did you know you were carrying a dirty toilet seat around with you?
Which is dirtier, a toilet seat, or your phone screen?
According to research, your phone screen is up to three times more contaminated with bacteria than a toilet seat. In the study, 92% of the 25 mobile phones tested were infested with bacteria (2).
Here’s the good news: antibacterial wipes will clean your phone and computer keyboard quicker than you can say “I’m so healthy!”. Make it a habit to clean your mobile phone and keyboard once a day to protect your health.
Are you cleaning your yoga mat before every use and washing your hands after hitting the gym?
Yoga mats and gym equipment can host bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Be smart, bring your yoga mat to class, and wash your hands after each gym visit.
Are you going to bed and getting up at the same time every night?
Going to bed and getting up at the same time every night is calming to the nervous system, which protects the power of your immune system.
If you are going to bed at the same time every night, then you are likely to get not only enough sleep but also high-quality sleep.
We are creatures of habit. Your body and mind will start to slow down and prepare for slumber in anticipation of your regular bedtime. By the time your head hits the pillow, you will be programmed to fall asleep quickly and deeply.
Getting up at the same time every morning causes less stress and uses up less of your willpower. Your body is so accustomed to getting up at the same time, that you might not even need to set an alarm clock. Starting the day in a state of calm and higher willpower saves valuable energy and resources to deal with whatever comes your way.
Are you spending enough time doing nothing?
Yes, you read that right. Are you investing at least five minutes per day into just BE-ing? Meditation has a wide range of proven health benefits, but you don’t have to spend this daily time meditating to boost your immune system.
Just five minutes sitting in the sunshine while feeling the warmth on your skin and letting your attention flow into the present moment will boost your immunity. Admiring a piece of artwork, a flower, a tree, or a water feature will also do the trick if you can turn your mind off and just appreciate the beauty in front of you.
Drink a glass of water with half a fresh squeezed lemon.
Freshly squeezed lemon juice is high in vitamins and minerals that stimulate your digestion, boost your immune system, and give your skin a more radiant glow.
Tell yourself you are healthy and robust.
Yes, you read that correctly. You strengthen your immune system by telling yourself that you enjoy radiant good health and are resilient to getting sick.
Do you walk around thinking about how healthy you are?
Do you take the time to feel grateful for your good health daily?
Do you spare a few seconds to feel into the well-being of your body a few times a day?
Start telling yourself, “I am so grateful for my good health. I feel so good in my body. Wow, I’m so thankful to be so healthy right now.”
Do 5 minutes of exercise in the morning – every day.
Five minutes doesn’t sound like much. Are you incredulous that 5 minutes of exercise can make a difference in your resiliency to becoming ill?
It’s true.