Fall has officially started!

Which means it’s time for: sweaters, pumpkin spice, falling leaves, and crisp mornings, it’s also the start of flu season.

For those who don’t know the flu (influenza virus) is a common virus that is easily spread throughout college campuses.

Don’t let the fear of the flu ruin your fall, but make sure you do simple things to keep your body in top shape so you can still do your favorite fall activities!

First things first, let’s talk about personal hygiene.

This may sound obvious but simply washing your hands can keep you healthy!

Make sure to use warm water and soap for 30 seconds before rinsing.

You should do this after going to the bathroom, before and after preparing or eating food, shaking hands, and other daily activities.

If you don’t have soap and water near you, invest in some hand sanitizer (your immune system will thank you).

If you are too lazy to do this, just think about the thousands of germs that are living on your hands.

These germs can cause more than the flu; they also commonly cause the chicken pox, common cold, E.coli infection, Hepatitis A, strep throat, typhoid, and the Epstein barr virus.

Now, if these examples aren’t enough to get you to wash your hands, here are a few statistics to help you ease into the idea.

In 2015, the CDC estimated that up to 80 percent of infectious diseases were caused by hands.

In addition, the CDC also estimated that 1 in 5 people do not wash their hands.

This translates to about 660 students at GAC that do not wash their hands.

However, keep in mind that hygiene isn’t the only thing that contributes to your illness.

In addition to personal hygiene there are a few easy daily life changes you can do to help keep your health in check.

First. get enough sleep.

This is not the first time you’ve heard this but maintaining a solid eight hours of sleep a night can help keep your mind and body in the best possible shape.

If you’re having trouble falling asleep, there are many different types of sleep-aids, a common ones being breathing or self-calming exercises.

These may not put you to sleep per se, but they will relax your body enough to ease your body into the sleep cycle.

Adding a few drops of lavender essential oil under your pillow is another easy way to ensure a good nights sleep.

If you already get a lot of sleep, try adding some extra nutrients into your diet.

Increasing your Vitamin C intake can help boost your immune system and help fight off bugs that come your way.

On that note, make sure to round out all your nutrients, making sure that your body is full of what it needs!

If you add these small steps, (and exercise for a few more) you are bound to keep your body healthy and ready to fight off any bugs.

Enjoy your fall and pumpkin spice!