Staying Healthy When Everyone Around You is Not

It's flu season, and this can be a very trying time for a lupie. The flu can send you into a flare or can make you sicker than the average flu sufferer. It may be tempting to lock yourself in your house until the flu season passes but for many of us, that's just not realistic, so here are a few things I do to keep myself flu free.

1. Stay away from sick people and the areas where they congregate. At work, I watched everyone in my work area come done with the flu in a matter of a few days. I was the only one who escaped it. I kept my distance. There was a point after New Year's when they were all sitting in a circle talking about their holiday. I stayed on my side of the cubicle and yelled comments over the wall. Also, I stayed out of the kitchen. Almost everyone at work goes into the kitchen, so your chances of picking up something there are pretty high.

2. Use hand sanitizing solution often. I use it whenever I return to my desk. That way if I touched something while I was away from my desk, I'm protected.

3. Touch no one. I have been taken down many a season by hugging someone only to pull away and experience their germ infested cough heading in my direction. At the most, just try to shake hands and then use your hand sanitizing solution as soon as you can without seeming rude. I usually tell people a little white lie to the effect of, "I think I may be coming down with something." That usually keeps them off me.

4. Don't be nutritionally deprived. If you take vitamins, make sure you take them. At the least, eat a well balanced diet. It helps to keep your immunities up.

5. Exercise. Exercising helps your body fight illness. If you exercise at the gym, make sure you wipe down machines to avoid germ contact.

6. Sleep. Most importantly. Get plenty of rest. Lupies need more rest than most, so make sure you have a well rested body to fight off those germs!

7. Don't stress. Many seasons I've let myself get really upset about something only to wake up the next day with the flu. Take a deep breath. It's usually not as bad as you think it is at the time.

Here's hoping you have a healthy lupie flu season.

LupieKat