There are so many illnesses that seem to make the rounds through family, schools, and the workplace. And keeping a family healthy can be a tough job. But even though we are faced with exposure to illness daily, there are some steps every family can take to stay healthy.
There is no sure way to completely prevent sickness, but you can help make your family more resistant to illness. These preventative measures will also help a person bounce back quicker if they do get sick. Just practicing these simple steps will have a profound effect on your family’s overall health.
Washing Hands Regularly – This is something that cannot be stressed enough. You should wash your hands frequently throughout the day and especially after touching dirty things, using the bathroom, playing with pets, etc. Washing your hands might not be enough. They need to be washed thoroughly with soap. Lather up your hands and scrub for 20 seconds, taking care to get between fingers, under fingernails, and the backs of the hands. Teach kids to get their hands and then soap and scrub their hands while they sing Happy Birthday twice. With this make sure that they’re washing for 20 seconds.
A hand sanitizer is often a good germ killer as well. Make sure the hand sanitizer you buy is at least 60 percent alcohol for maximum effect. It is a good idea to give each of your children a small bottle of hand sanitizer to keep in their backpacks when they go to school. However, even though hand sanitizer is great in a pinch, it does not replace hand washing!
Eat a Healthy Diet – Eating a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables is one of the greatest things you can do to boost your health. Fresh produce is chock full of antioxidants that will boost your immune system and help in the fight against illness. It doesn’t hurt to give your family vitamin supplements as well, especially extra Vitamin C. Although some people will debate the effectiveness of vitamins, if you take supplements that are 100 percent natural, not synthetic, they can be very beneficial.
Sleep! We sometimes feel tired and run down, that our bodies are more capable of getting sick. Everyone should get at least eight hours of sleep per night, with children getting at least 10 hours.
Encourage everyone to eat a well-balanced diet. You may not be taking several trips to the supermarket while social distancing, thus it is tougher to create healthy food choices. Do the best you can. If you’ve got area in your deep freezer, profit of frozen fruits and veggies, that area unit picked at an equivalent time as contemporary turn out, then “flash frozen” to store nutrients. They provide a similar nutritional value, however, they can last longer.
Sometimes it can be tempting to snack more while working at home, however, strive more to keep a normal eating schedule of three balanced meals daily. You’ll get crave here and there, but again, you want to make an option that will be sustainable since we don’t know when we can resume our regular routines. On the contrary, it’s not uncommon for kids to eat much less at mealtimes, so don’t be afraid to give them healthy snacks throughout the day.
Clean and Disinfect Your Home – All of the surfaces we touch can carry germs. If someone sneezes into their hand and then touches a doorknob or faucet, that surface is now covered with germs. Clean and sanitize the surfaces in your home regularly, and daily if someone is sick. A steam cleaner will disinfect surfaces without using harsh chemicals. The steam vapor is hot enough to kill germs, and you don’t have a chemical residue left when you are done.
Take time to build community. In our today’s digital era, it’s often more difficult than ever to focus on your family due to constant distraction from social media and technology. Moreover, several extended families are geographically dispersed, creating their own “a village” around to assist. With the increased rate of technology and host virtual family gatherings with extended family.
Social isolation is stressful. That’s why now could be excellent to spend more time with your family unit by being intentional with your time together. One of the most effective ways is to share meals.
Aside from your family stay connected, you can also do virtual gatherings using some zoom or google meet, that can be organized by the local or national organization. A lot of parks, museums, zoos, and churches are using to take videos to provide entertainment, connect over a shared interest and maintain cultural and spiritual traditions.
Stay Home! If you do get sick, stay home! If you stay home from work or school for a couple of days when you first start getting sick you will get better faster than if you tried to stick it out and work through it. Plus, you won’t be exposing others to the illness and they will thank you for it!
By following these few tips you’ll get a healthier family unit. You may not avoid sickness altogether, but you will prevent a lot of illness and if you do get sick the road to recovery will be easier.
