If you are in a crunch to finish your firefighter promotional exam prep, the last thing you need is a cold or the flu to slow you down and reduce the amount of time you have to prepare. Follow these tips to have a healthy holiday season this year.
Hydrate
The best tip there is for those celebrating this holiday season, but who also have a firefighter promotional written exam test date approaching, is to stay hydrated. Carry around a giant water bottle, put one in your car, your backpack, with your study materials and so on. Just keep drinking water, to keep your body hydrated and your immune system working at full capacity.
Don’t Overindulge
If you do not normally eat a lot of sugar, sweet treats, and alcohol do your best to not overindulge during all of the holiday celebrations you are going to. Eating loads of sugar and just different foods than you normally eat can put your body in a funk and will just make you feel generally bad. I am not saying don’t indulge at all, but listen to your body's cues of overdoing it. Don’t be afraid to ask for a to-go plate if there is too much good stuff to eat in one sitting, so you can enjoy it later in moderation at a pace your body is used to.
Keep Your Body Moving
Being busy during the holidays whether you are traveling to visit family or even just celebrating locally, usually results in a routine disruption. You are likely sitting more on planes and in cars, relaxing on the couch and catching up with friends and family and just being more sedentary overall. Your workout routine is likely harder to maintain, but it is still good to keep your body moving to help remain healthy. Take family walks around the neighborhood, play a game of touch football or basketball with the fam. You may just have to get a little bit more creative in how you exercise during the holidays instead of spending hours at the gym.
BYOV
Bring your own veggies! If you are going to a lot of parties where food is served, be a gracious guest and offer to bring a side dish or appetizer that just happens to be healthier than what is normally found at holiday parties. A side salad is a lovely dish to bring, roasted veggies, mashed cauliflower, or even a simple veggie plate. This will help ensure there will be something to eat for yourself that won’t make you feel bad or even sick and keep your immune system in tip top shape to fight off those extra special holiday germs.
Avoid Crowds
If you are truly worried about getting sick and losing valuable study time this holiday season avoid the crowds. Shop online versus in store, keep your gatherings to close family, bundle up and have parties outside over a bonfire. There are easy ways to still celebrate the holiday season to the fullest while not coming into contact with more people than you need to in order to stay healthy.
Spend Time in The Sun
A great way to boost your immune system is to spend time in the sunshine, with the appropriate sun protection of course. Even if you live in a colder climate, bundle up and absorb some of those rays from the sun. If you live somewhere where the sun is nonexistent there are other options like special lamps you can buy to help, they will even help with depression if you are someone who gets seasonal depressive disorder. Make the time daily to get some sun on your skin if you want to stay healthy. Sunshine can even help if you are already sick, just bundle up and find a cozy spot and let the sun work its magic.
Wash Your Hands
Simple as it seems, wash your hands. Not just after you go to the bathroom, but after grocery shopping, after shaking hands with others and so on, wash your hands. Hand sanitizer is a great option when on the go as well. Avoid touching your face too after being around a lot of people until you do wash your hands. This keeps the germs from entering your system and also helps prevent the spread of germs to other people.
The Takeaway
There is no guarantee you won’t get sick this holiday season as you begin or wrap up your firefighter promotional exam journey, but there are many ways to help prevent it. As firefighters you encounter a higher number of sick individuals than most on the job, so when you are off the job use these tips to keep healthy.