It doesn’t take long for bugs and colds to make their way around an entire office. Often one person sneezing on a Monday can lead to half the office off with the flu by Friday, and whilst it is easy enough to tell someone not to come in if they are feeling unwell, unfortunately you often can’t put those urgent meetings and deadlines on hold.
As someone who in the past could just look at someone with a cold and catch it I have managed to avoid the flu that’s recently made its way around the office so thought it would be good to put together a few tips on how to stay healthy and avoid those office bugs.

1. Keep your desk clean

I am definitely guilty of not doing this in the past but a quick wipe down with a surface wipe on your phone, mouse and keyboard will help stop the spread of germs.

2. Eat healthily

If you’re flat out at work and it’s easier to run across the road and grab a burger rather than cooking at home or finding a healthier takeaway, chances are your immune system is already suffering. Have some fruit, veggies and nuts at your desk so even if you don’t have time to have a proper healthy lunch you still have access to healthy snacks.



3. Don’t rely on coffee

I know people that rarely drink coffee will often turn to it if they are feeling tired and rundown and want to boost their productivity at work. If your body is telling you to slow down, try going for a walk or switching out the coffee for a healthy snack, it will keep you going for longer and you will avoid crashing a couple hours later.

4. Remember to take a break

This is one that I struggle with, it is so easy to get caught up in a task, which leads to another task, that you can easily get to the end of the day and realize you have barely looked up from your screen. If you don’t have time for a proper lunch break, try and take a couple 10 minute breaks to walk around the block. Stress wears you down making you more susceptible to any colds or viruses going around.

5. Know your body

Everyone has a different threshold when it comes to fighting off illness. If you start to feel run down take preventative steps to avoid getting sick. Sometimes leaving work at 5pm and having a quiet night in is enough to give your body the rest it needs to fight off that pesky office bug!