It’s that time of year again. Flu season, that is! This season’s flu activity has reached epidemic thresholds, the CDC says, so it’s particularly important that you take pre-emptive action against the flu this year.

If you’re wondering how not to get sick, you can protect yourself from the colds, flus and other viruses that are circulating your office, school or daycare with these cold and flu prevention tips. Some of these tips are common sense, but others you may not have thought of before!

Invest in a whole-home humidifier

Have you ever wondered why you’re much more likely to catch the flu or a cold in the winter as opposed to the summer? It’s because flu and cold germs survive and spread more easily in dry air conditions. Hot summer air can hold a lot more humidity than cold air can. Make your home an inhospitable environment to cold and flu germs by investing in a whole-home humidifier. Whole-home humidifiers work with your home’s central heating system to regulate humidity levels in your home. Maintaining a comfortably humidity level can also make your home feel warmer without turning up the heat; that’s a bonus!

Get a flu shot

People have been arguing about the efficacy of the flu shot ever since it was introduced to the public in 1976. Whether or not you’re a “true believer,” the CDC notes that “recent studies have supported the conclusion that flu vaccination benefits public health, especially when the flu vaccine is well matched to circulating flu viruses.” Flu shots are safe, inexpensive, and help to reduce the spread of the flu; get one today if you haven’t already.

Spend time outdoors

Contrary to popular opinion, you don’t typically “catch a cold” from being outdoors in the cold. In fact, cold and flu germs have a much easier time surviving in warm indoor environments than they do in frigid outdoor environments. Spending time outdoors in the winter allows you to spend more time away from germ infested environments. Exercising outside, even doing something as simple as taking a walk, can also improve your immune system.  That’s because “Exercise leads to an increase in natural killer cells, neutrophils, and monocytes, which ultimately increases immune function,” says Ather Ali, ND, MPH, assistant director of Complementary/Alternative Medicine Research at the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center. If you want to stay healthy, make a goal to bundle up and spend some time outside every day.

Invest in Air Cleaners

Are you uncomfortably aware of all of the germs that are floating through the air right now? The good news is that there’s a way to drastically reduce the number of germs and viruses that are circulating through your home. Central air cleaners are air purification systems that work with your furnace to clean and filter all of the air in your home! High-efficiency central air cleaners like the Aprilaire 5000 can trap 80% of the virus-sized particles in your home as well as 94% of all dust, dander, allergens and mold particles.

Although portable air purifiers are very popular, these small devices can only filter the air in one room of your home. It’s also worth noting that only specialty air filters have the ability trap teeny tiny viruses, so look for an air cleaner that can trap particles as small as 1 micron. Only top-of-the-line air cleaners, HEPA filters, and electrostatic filters are proven to trap tiny germs.

Get lots of sleep

Getting lots of beauty sleep is one of the best ways to protect yourself from sickness. That’s because exhaustion, or lack of sleep, can suppress your immune system. The amount of sleep that your body needs varies from person to person. However, a study found that getting less than seven hours of sleep a night nearly triples your odds of catching a cold! Maybe you should think about going to bed early tonight.

Wash your hands

The CDC confirms that soap and water are the most important weapons against sickness. That’s because cold and flu germs tend to spread through touch. During flu season, you should also avoid eating with your hands and touching your eyes, face, nose and mouth.

Relax!

“Being stressed will increase your susceptibility to catching a cold,” says Dr. Ali. When you’re stressed, your body releases hormones like glucocorticoids that impair your body’s ability to fight disease. Excessive stress can also cause you to lose sleep or weight, making it difficult to fight off sickness.

We hope that these tips gave you some ideas of how not to get sick this winter! If you found this blog post useful, please share it with your friends!