by Katie Giffin

It’s mid-February and by now we’ve all heard the same old advice for staying healthy–wash your hands, eat super foods, take lots of vitamins, avoid human contact as much as possible–but what do you do if you already have the crud? Here are some tips if you’re battling sickness and you don’t have the time to curl up at home.

• Yoga

Believe it or not, exercising can help you when you’re sick. The movement helps to release toxins and loosen up the muscles that tense up after a rough night of sleep or constant coughing. There are many short routines on YouTube that are easy on the body and can help to shorten the amount of time spent sniffling and downing cough medicine (Try Yoga With Adrienne “Yoga For When You Are SICK”). 

• Citrus Water

The vitamin C and antioxidants in  lime or lemon water serve to strengthen the immune system and the citrus can help to break up mucus in the throat. Additionally, adding citrus to your water can help to shorten the duration of an illness while also reducing inflation.

• Drink Tea 

Green tea, white tea, black tea, herbal tea – every type of tea has various restorative qualities, and the more you drink of it, the better. Green tea helps to increase the metabolism and it also has a healthy dose of caffeine which can help with groggy mornings. White tea helps to expand the airways and also helps to detox the body and release chemicals that cause stress. Black tea helps to reduce anxiety and has strong antioxidants making it perfect for a flu fighting beverage. Add honey to any type of tea for a tasty throat coat, or for something slightly more medicinal, add a cough drop to your tea.

• Bath Salts

Many health food stores are now selling cold and flu bath salts that help reduce inflation, congestion, and pain in sore muscles. Depending on the specific type of salts, these curing mixtures can help soothe the muscles before bedtime or they can energize the body to take on the rest of the day. The aroma therapy also serves to relax the muscles and mind.

• Take a nap 

Ok, we’re all busy, so who has time for a nap? However, with a lack of sleep comes a weak immune system which is the reason why we get sick in the first place. Believe it or not, a 20 minute power nap can be just enough to help the body and the mind out make it to the end of the day. To be more energized afterwards, drink some green tea beforehand and by the time you wake up the caffeine will kick in so you’ll be extra refreshed!