As we all know from past experience, being sick is not fun. Whether it’s a stomach bug, the flu, or a plain head cold, we can all agree that it greatly affects our lives for those 5-7 days (or maybe 24- hours, but you get the point). Take it from me, writing this story, 1 a.m. in the morning, unable to sleep because of a pesky head cold that I’ve had for about six days, being sick sucks. So, to spare anyone from the misery I have been experiencing for the longest six days of my life, here are some helpful tips to help you stay sickness-free.

1. Stay Hydrated: I know that, growing up in Florida, we hear this all the time and think “yeah whatever, I’m constantly peeing so I must be well hydrated, right?” Wrong. The average human is supposed to drink at least 8 cups a day (about half a gallon, 13 cups for you visual learners), not including the extra cups for athletes or those constantly exposed to the sun. The water portion of your body (60%) is used for so many different things, including digestion, circulation, transportation of nutrients, and so many more. This is a reason why water intake is a vital component in staying healthy and sickness-free.
2. Wash your hands: We all wash our hands after going to the bathroom (I hope), but what about before we eat, rub our eyes, or shake hands with other people? Well, these are all ways we can spread germs. This one I should have been better about, especially since I was sharing a room at a weekend retreat with my sick friend, and the whole time thought, “what are the odds of me ACTUALLY getting sick?” Well, apparently pretty high. Washing your hands will yes, help you get rid of any bad bacteria looking for a way into your body, but it will also help keep others healthy. By decreasing the amount of germs on your hands, the amount of germs your able to spread decreases as well.
3. Work out: For some people, this isn’t that hard. With football practice after school, or swim meets on the weekend, sometimes exercise is a big part of our lives. But, for others, it can be hard to find the motivation to get off the couch and stretch your legs. Exercise is a huge factor when it comes to staying healthy. Exercising helps balance stress hormones. When the amount of stress hormones is too high, it suppresses your immune system. So by exercising, you level the amount of hormones which decreases the chance of sickness, due to the strong immune system.

In conclusion, sickness sucks. No matter the diagnosis, health issue are uncomfortable. So, do your best to use your knew knowledge to say sayonara to sickness and goodbye to germs. I wish I did.