School Health

It's back to school time for many of us, whether we are going back to school/college/uni or starting somewhere new. Everyone wants to start the year off right and that means being well and healthy, and able to attend all of your classes and focus properly.

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I seem to find that I often get ill at this time of year with various bugs and viruses, anything from a simple summer cold to a more draining flu or stomach bug. The summer holidays let us relax and unwind, we maybe aren't around just so many people and we don't come into contact with as many germs and viruses. So when we arrive back at school we're thrown into a class of 20, 30, 50, 60, maybe even 100 or more people and that's perfect breeding ground for a whole variety of common illnesses. 

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But there are a few things you can do to help prevent you from getting sick so you can make the most of the start of the new year. A lot of these things might seem pretty darn obvious but a little reminder never hurt anyone. 

Firstly, make sure you wash your hands often - especially before eating! I know what you're thinking, 'that's so obvious, everyone washes their hands', but you'd be surprised at how many people don't wash their hands after going to the toilet - then they're spreading those germs onto everything they touch. Yuck. I'd recommend getting a little bottle of hand sanitizer and keeping it in your bag/pocket and using it every so often. Try not to touch the banisters/hand rails if you can manage it - they're touched by so many people and all sorts of dirt and germs are spread on them, and they're rarely cleaned. 

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Drink plenty of water! Water is excellent at flushing toxins out of your body, so those germs are gone before they have a chance to affect you much. It's also brilliant for your skin and hair! It's recommended to drink at least 8 glasses (or 2 litres) of water a day. At first this may seem like an awful lot, and you may feel like all you do is pee, but you get used to it pretty quickly. If you're finding it hard to get your water intake up to 8 glasses, start with whatever you can manage and try to drink one glass more each day (or even each week).

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Get enough sleep. Try to get 8 hours each night, if you can. It'll help keep your immune system up so you'll stay healthier, plus you'll feel more energised and focused. Getting enough sleep will also help prevent you from getting too stressed. Your body repairs itself at night when you sleep well, so the more of that uninterrupted deep sleep you can get the better!

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Eat enough fruit and veg. This is so important as fruit and vegetables are packed full of essential vitamins and minerals to help keep us healthy. Not only do they keep your immune system strong, but they're also great for your hair, skin and general well-being! Maybe even think about getting a multi-vitamin to help boost your intake, talk to your doctor about what would be best for you.

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Get some exercise. It's great for your heart and will help you to feel more energised and awake. A little daily exercise will also help to reduce stress. You don't need to do a lot, even a simple stroll around town or your campus every day would be a good start - but some cardio would be even better. Plus, if you're outside you'll boost your vitamin D intake (which helps your body take in calcium). The trick with exercise is to pick something you enjoy, whether that's walking, running, cycling, yoga, trampolining, skipping, or even hula hooping. If you have fun you'll look forward to exercising and you'll be more likely to keep at it. 

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Wash your bed sheets often. You breathe out all sorts of germs on to your sheets at night and they stay there in your nice warm room and multiply to maybe cause an infection later. Washing at least your pillow case more often will help prevent this. The same applies to your clothes. We all have that one favourite jumper/top/hoodie that we wear for weeks before we eventually give in and wash it. Especially if you wear it to school/college/etc, it will be picking up all the germs from your surroundings too, so do try to wash it once a week!

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Don't share your lip balm - especially the ones in a pot! You never know what someone may have just touched or what germs they may be carrying (they may not be ill themselves but could still be carrying the germs for an illness). It might also be good practice for you to wash your hands before using lip balm as you never know what you might have just touched too.


Hopefully trying some or all of these things will help keep you healthy at school/college! I know they've helped me. Have fun, good luck, and stay healthy and happy!

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