Holiday stress, a lack of sleep and the changing of the seasons can put a strain on your immune system, making you vulnerable to cold and flu germs that run rampant in crowded retail outlets. Add to that, families with children will have to ensure that they are taken care of as they will be on vacation from school. Your boss will undoubtedly have to adjust the office responsibilities and priorities as other individuals will most likely be using some of their vacation time to spend with their families.

In addition, many individuals and families will either have guests that will be spending the holidays with them or they are planning on traveling to spend the holidays with their friends or family. Either way, the commitments and effort required to entertain guests that are visiting or to pack up the family and visit relatives adds an additional level of stress to your holiday season.

Tip for Staying Physically Healthy Over the Holiday’s

If you are looking to make the most of the holidays, and especially if you’re the type of individual that leads an active, healthy, and fit lifestyle, you will want to avoid even a minor illness. These tips are designed to assist you in staying healthy over the holidays.

1. Stick to online shopping when you’re sick

   We’ll start with a tip that’s not so much for your benefit, but the benefit of those around you. If you’re already sick with a cold or the flu, do everyone a favor and avoid the malls in favor of online shopping. You spread germs prolifically when you’re shopping – touching shopping carts, picking up items and putting them back on shelves, pulling door handles, using credit card scanners – probably without even realizing it. If everyone followed this advice, there’s a fighting chance that you wouldn’t have fallen ill in the first place.

   It’s also important to follow this tip if you want to speed your recovery. When you’re sick, your body needs ample amounts of rest. Navigating busy stores and spending hours in traffic will only lengthen your cold.

2. Get a flu shot if you haven’t already

   If you’re still putting off your annual flu vaccination, now is the time to stop procrastinating. Depending on the strain of flu that you acquire, the results could range from a single day of forced bedrest to a life-threatening illness. A flu vaccination is relatively painless, inexpensive and available at a wide range of department stores and drug stores.

   Although you may assume that the flu season is already over, the Centers for Disease Control states that it actually lasts until at least March. Flu immunization is especially important for busy holiday shoppers who face increased exposure to germs.

3. Know the germiest areas of stores

   Although germs can be found literally everywhere in department stores, grocery stores and shopping malls, it is always beneficial to take the time to give some thought to where they’re most concentrated so that you can exercise extra caution or avoid them entirely.

   Generally, some of the most germ-ridden areas of retail stores include food court tables, escalator handrails, bathroom toilet seats, flush levers and faucet knobs, credit card scanners and shopping cart handles – basically, any part of the store that’s frequently touched by customers and employees.

   Plenty of germs also reside on the products themselves, thanks to customers who browse by picking up and examining items before placing them back on shelves. If possible, reach for items further back on shelves where they’re less likely to have been handled recently.

4. Bring your own disinfectant wipes

   Many department stores are now offering disinfectant wipes in the front of the store where shopping carts are kept. While it’s a good idea to take advantage of these for wiping down shopping cart handles before you start browsing, it’s best to keep a small pack of antibacterial wipes in your pocket or purse for stores not offering them.

   Remember, if you have to use a lever or a similar device to dispense a disinfectant wipe from a supply offered by the stores, odds are good that it too contains a high concentration of germs. This brings us to our final tip…

5. Bring hand sanitizer and use it frequently

   Nothing could be more valuable in your battle against holiday germs than a constant supply of hand sanitizer. Keep a small bottle in your pocket or purse and a larger dispenser in your car. Use it frequently – after shopping trips of any length, after receiving change from a cashier, after shaking hands with a friend – and apply it to all parts of your hands and wrists to eliminate as many germs as possible. Keep in mind that the effectiveness of hand sanitizers largely relies on friction, so rub it in vigorously.

   Look for hand sanitizers with built-in moisturizers. This will prevent your hands from becoming dried and cracked (and, subsequently, more susceptible to germs) even with frequent usage.

Staying Healthy Over the Holidays: The Bottom Line

Germs are everywhere during the holidays, but following a few simple tips can significantly lower your exposure. Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer and a pack of disinfectant wipes in your purse or pocket, avoid the germiest areas of stores whenever possible, stay home and shop online when you’re sick, and if you haven’t already done so, get a flu shot and insist that the rest of your family do the same.