As if we didn’t have enough to contend with already this year, autumn has arrived, and that means cold and flu season is underway. For some, weeks of sniffling, sneezing and generally feeling a little under par lie ahead.
So, what can you do to protect yourself from unwanted germs, and if you do succumb to the dreaded lurgy, how can you get back to full health as quickly as possible?
We all know that a healthy diet and exercise will help keep your immune system strong, but just how good is your nutrition, and how active are you?
You should make sure you eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables every day and take 30 minutes of exercise to help keep your body in good condition.
Cutting out smoking and reducing your alcohol intake is also sensible.
Make a vegetable soup: Warming and tasty, this is a superb way of getting your five a day in one sitting. Choose delicious veggies such as butternut squash, parsnip and broccoli and add spices to keep recipes interesting.
You may think you can function on just five or six hours of sleep per night. Still, the reality is that those who get less than six hours of sleep are on average four times more likely to get a cold than those who sleep for seven hours or more, according to research from the University of California.
Sleep is critical for health, so if you’re a night owl, try going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night over five days. You’ll gain an extra hour and 15 minutes of sleep overall and will barely notice your earlier bedtime!
If you find it difficult to drop off once your head hits the pillow, try the following tricks to help you:
This has been drilled into us all recently, but it shouldn’t take a pandemic to make us reconsider our personal hygiene.
Anything you can do to avoid exposing yourself to a cold virus will reduce your chances of catching it. Washing your hands frequently with soap and water, and carrying sanitiser with you, means you won’t pick up germs or transfer them to others so easily.
This is a tough one and virtually impossible for most people; however, children do tend to get several colds a year only because their immune systems are still developing so are perfect cold and flu carriers! They then pass the cold on very easily to those who come into contact with them. Parents of young children are the highest risk; however, contact obviously cannot be avoided altogether.
Easier said than done – we know!
Often it’s challenging to make the decision to take a sick day away from work or other commitments, but if you are a ball of germs, the sensible option is to have a duvet day. This is not only in the interest of those around you, but you’ll also recover more quickly with some rest, allowing your body time to heal.
Your immune system is a remarkable thing and is highly efficient at dealing with most colds and viruses, so remember, however annoying and frustrating it is, you will likely recover from a cold in a few days.
Our team at Properly are fit, healthy and strong and ready to advise you on your next home move.
Call us on 0207 459 4400 or email mariel@properly.space and we will be delighted to help you.
London Youth work to improve the lives of young people in London, challenging them to become the best they can, and last year helped over 27,000 young people through their sports development, youth action and involvement, arts and outdoor education programmes and employment prospects. We feel strongly that all young people should have an opportunity to develop themselves, and so are delighted to be able to support London Youth in their work, providing young people with access to opportunities they might not otherwise have had, to learn new skills, to make a positive change in their communities and to shape the city they live in.
Glass Door helps homeless men and women in London through their large network of emergency shelters and support services. These winter shelters provide a warm welcome, food, safety and shelter for up to 170 people every night. Properly feels passionately about the issue of homelessness. That is why we are delighted that together with our clients we can assist Glass Door in their fantastic work to help some of the most marginalised people in society.
Families become homeless for reasons we can all identify with. We are concerned about people who are struggling to keep things together in our fast-paced world – and we care about those who have no support. We chose the Doorstep Homeless Family Project because they are passionate and effective yet they are a small team with limited funding. They provide homeless families, living in temporary accommodation in London, with access to services to secure the emotional and practical support they require to enjoy a better quality of life.
We need nature and nature needs us. We support The London Wildlife Trust because we share its concern for the environment. We want to ensure that we keep nature in mind as we work in the property market – and crucially, with people’s homes. We also want our employees to engage with nature and benefit from the wellbeing this brings. London Wildlife Trust cares for over 37 of London’s spaces, and their vision is: “a London alive with nature, where everyone can experience and enjoy wildlife”.
The service is outstanding. Mariel could not be more helpful and professional. Every individual I engaged with, was well informed and had the full history of conversations. First class service.
We had such an easy and stress free move. Michael helped us with all our questions and was quick to find out any answers to our questions. Would highly recommend.
Mariel & Michael have been amazing, very thorough, helpful and a delight to deal with, would highly recommend! Thank you both.
Mariel and Michael have been absolutely great, by far my best ever experience with an estate agent. Properly is honest, upfront and friendly, responding really quickly to any and all queries and with a lovely personal touch.
I was so pleased to be introduced to Properly. Mariel and Michael provide an excellent service that took the stress and hassle out of finding a tenant. They were a pleasure to deal with, efficient and fast. A marked difference from the hidden costs and poor communication often encountered from other high street estate agents. I would thoroughly recommend and happily use again!
Amazing people, responsive, honest, friendly and professional. Cannot fault them and the type of company, you will go back to again and again.
Had Michael round for a valuation of our flat – very knowledgeable and friendly and wasn’t pushy at all. When it comes time to sell we’ll definitely be giving Properly a call!
Mariel and Michael made the process of agreeing a housing let incredibly seamless, stress-free and quick. Their timely communication and fantastic ‘customer service’ was second to none. Would highly recommend