7 Ways to Avoid Getting Sick at Work

Oh October in Maryland. I welcome you with open arms. The cooler air, being able to see my breath for a little bit in the morning, the leaves starting to turn colors, pumpkin beverages from the local and national coffee shops… there’s so much about you that I love. What’s that? You’re ushering in flu season as well? Well October, for as lovely as you can be you sure can be a total buzz kill.

As I write this, I find myself starting to sniffle. Someone just walked past my cube and sneezed. I didn’t see if they covered their mouth or not. I hope they did. Panic is ensuing. I need to get my yearly flu shot. Better make an appointment with either my doctor or one of the dozens of pharmacies nearby. We could sit here and debate whether or not one should actually get a yearly flu shot, so I won’t try to encourage you to. Research and decide yourself if you should get one. Instead, I want to encourage ways to prevent getting the flu at the work place and stop the spread of those nasty flu germs to co-workers, friends and family members. A lot of the tips should be common knowledge, but sometimes we just need a refresher course!

1. Wash Your Hands. A lot. Wash them after using the restroom, before you eat, after you cough, after you sneeze etc. According to CareerBuilder.com:

•  One in five adults don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom
•  Only 15% of adults wash their hands after coughing or sneezing
• -Three out of four adults don’t wash their hands before eating.

I don’t know about you, but those statistics blew me away. No wonder spreading germs is so easy at the workplace. I suggest keeping a bottle of hand sanitizer at your desk so you don’t constantly have to get up and run to the break room sink or bathroom sink to wash your hands every time you cough. Pick up a bottle of hand sanitizer for a dollar at a dollar store and keep it handy.

2. Keep your desk/workspace clean. I keep a thing of Clorox bleach wipes at my desk and I’m currently trying to get into the habit of wiping down my desk phone, computer keyboard, mouse and desk once a week to keep germs away. Even if you don’t share these things with other co-workers, you could still potentially re-infect yourself if you don’t keep your area clean. If you work from home and have kids, this tip is especially important. Also, not at all flu related, but attempt to straighten up your desk once a week. Personally, I find that I feel better mentally when everything is neat and organized at the end of the week. Straighten up that pile of business cards. Organize those handouts. It’s nice to come into the office on Monday morning and not see a mess.

3. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze. Cover your mouth when you cough. I remember my parents and teachers drilling this into my head when I was a little kid. I was always told sneeze and cough into your hand, and then wash your hands. If possible, sneeze and cough into a tissue and then throw away the tissue. Ideally when in the workplace, cough or sneeze into your elbow if you can’t find a tissue. I mean, if you have the hand sanitizer handy, go ahead and sneeze/cough into your hand. It’s all about options, guys!

4. Skip the office meeting that offers a buffet, and push for having pre-packaged lunches instead. Remember that statistic about three out of four adults not washing their hands before eating? Prevent yourself from catching something from a co-worker just because that platter of sandwiches brought in looks delicious. This is going to prove tough for 123Print employees, because we really do love our buffet lunches the company supplies on special occasions.

5. Avoid your co-workers who are sick. I would hope that co-workers that are sick with the flu, and especially contagious, would have the common courtesy to stay home until they are better – but that isn’t always the case. If a sick co-worker shows up at work, try to minimize direct face-to-face contact with them. I don’t want to encourage rude behavior, so please try to be polite! Encourage interoffice email or try to keep three to six feet of distance between you and your sick co-worker if at all possible.

6. Get plenty of rest. Exercise. Eat a balanced diet. Drink a minimum of eight glasses of water a day. Health officials advise these four things for basic healthy living, so do take them seriously!

7. Listen to your body. You know your body better than anyone, so if you’re feeling rundown or like you’re on the verge of being sick – go home and rest. Most companies offer vacation and sick days for a reason. Use them! Review your company’s sick policies, and if vacation and sick days are not offered talk to your boss. Remember, your boss is human. He/she doesn’t want to get sick and miss work just as much as you don’t want to. Hopefully they will be understanding and encourage you to get better and keep your germs to yourself!

Sources:

http://asthma.about.com/b/2009/09/17/flu-staying-healthy-workplace-tips.htm

http://coldflu.about.com/od/prevention/tp/healthyatwork.htm

http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-2116-Workplace-Issues-10-Tips-to-Avoid-the-Flu-at-Work/