Don’t Let a Cold Get You

Menkes is focused on supporting healthy lifestyle choices through its Healthy Spaces Program, which has four main areas of focus: Eating Well, Being Active, Engaging Mind, and Maintaining Health.

With flu season approaching, it has us wondering, how we can attempt to avoid spreading germs at the office, and more importantly stay healthy throughout what Torontonians have come to know as the longest season ever…winter. Short of donning bubble wrap or dousing yourself with alcohol, there is only so much one can do to avoid the inevitable spread of germs, but here are some helpful tips that might make your seasonal colds less frequent:

1. Everyone knows to wash hands and disinfect with antibacterial, but it’s also good practice to keep those disinfectant wipes on hand to sanitize your workspace regularly. Those nasty germs live on things like phones, printers and keyboards.

2. Use your sleeve or glove to press the elevator button, especially if you have the sniffles.

3. Visit your local pharmacy, or your building’s flu clinic for an annual flu shot. All Menkes office buildings offer a flu clinic for employees and tenants.

4. Stock your desk drawer with lozenges, ginger, green tea, lemons or other natural remedies that can help stimulate your immune system and fight off infection.

5. Try adding a plant to your workspace. Though it won’t necessarily fight off a cold, research has shown some plants have the ability to improve indoor air quality.

6. The last rule is simple; keep your germs at home. Don’t be afraid to use a sick day or better yet, work from home, especially if you have flu-like symptoms. It’s really the only sure-fire way to keep germs contained.