Updated: Jul 14, 2020
Hand washing: The most well-established way to prevent respiratory infections such as influenza and coronavirus is frequent and thorough hand washing with soap and water. Scrub your hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Hand sanitizer: Handwashing with soap and water is the best way to reduce germs, but if they are not available, alcohol-based hand sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol can help to reduce the spread of infection. Note: avoid any products containing triclosan, a known hormone-disrupting chemical.
Covering your mouth and nose: Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing; if your hands are not free or you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your sleeve, not your bare hands.
Not touching your face: Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, which can help provide the virus with a route of entry into the body. Since the average individual touches their face an average of 15 times per hour, remain vigilant!
Keeping surfaces clean: Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, especially when someone is ill. Surfaces to consider include doorknobs, phones, computer keyboards, remotes, and other surfaces that are frequently touched in rooms such as the bathroom and kitchen.
Diet/Food & Stress
A hard day at the office, a rude comment, heavy traffic, everyday hassles—it can all put you in a bad mood. But those aren’t the only things affecting your attitude. What you eat can also affect your mood and your risk of depression.
People often turn to food for comfort during difficult times, but certain foods will leave you feeling worse instead of better. Consider these three types of food that can worsen your mental and emotional well-being:
Sugar and Sweeteners
Refined sugar is not merely empty calories but an antinutrient, since it pulls magnesium and B vitamins from elsewhere in the body for metabolism. Meanwhile, elevated blood sugars and inflammation take their toll on mental health. No wonder high consumption of sugar is linked to depression!