Go Away Germs!

Here's a math equation:

Kids + Germs = Sick Teacher

It is almost inevitable that at least once during the school year, I will catch something from the classroom. I still shudder when I think about my first MAJOR germ attack. It was five years ago when I began my first teaching job in a nursery classroom. I'm hoping that was the worst flu I will ever get (or hopefully not get ever again).

Since then, I have been around enough kids and classrooms to build up a pretty good immunity to most common colds, sore throats, and stomach bugs. Still, I like being healthy, so I try VERY hard to minimize any risk of those germs sneaking in and throwing into the stuffy nose, congestion-y depths that I so despise! Since it is getting into winter, these types of sicknesses are out and about!

I'm sure many of you do most of these things on a daily basis, but here are some things that I feel have helped me stave off any sicknesses (knock on wood!)

Obviously, one of the most important (and easiest) ways to stay healthy is getting a good night's rest. Sometimes this can be hard, if our minds are running through all of the responsibilities we have to take care of: lesson plans, wedding plans, grocery lists, to-do's...

I find that drinking a cup of herbal tea about an hour before I go to bed calms me and gets my body all warm and snuggly for bed-time. I'm a big fan of chamomile, but I recently discovered Lady Grey, a lighter, herbal-ier version of the classic Earl. I'm usually a tea purist, but I like adding some honey and a splash of almond milk to the Lady Grey for a little more sweetness.

I love this print. I totally want to get it to put in my kitchen!

Once I'm all cozy in my bed, I usually read a bit on my Nook . My fiance bought me the GlowLight version last year, and since he got it for me, all arguments about when to turn off the lamp have ended! The light is dim enough that he can get right to sleep (I am so jealous of his ability to conk out as soon as his head hits the pillow), but bright enough that I can read without straining my eyes. I have always read that it is bad to have the TV on right before bed, and since I stopped doing that, I have to admit, I've been sleeping a lot better! Plus, reading provides just as much entertainment as TV! Wow, that was SUCH a teacher thing to say :)

I am a compulsive hand washer, but I feel that I have to be in my line of work. When I am not near a sink, I rely on the convenience of hand sanitizer. I usually keep a small bottle on my desk, and it doesn't hurt that it comes in a cute, sparkly purple case that is pretty to look at (from Target). The sugar plum scent smells amazing (a mix of fruity/spicy), and kind of takes me back to my days of sampling all of those Bath and Body Works  holiday scents at the mall with my sister in the mid-to-late 90's. I even have hand sanitizer in my car that I use after I fill up the tank. I know a lot of people claim that using too much hand sanitizer is unhealthy, so I try to be conservative with the amount I use each day. Washing my hands so much gets them pretty dried out, so I like to use L'Occitane's lavender hand cream to moisturize. My lips also tend to get drier in the winter-time, so I keep one of these lip balms on my desk/next to my bed at home/in my bag as well (I think I have about a million different lip balms floating around our apartment/in my purses).



As soon as I feel a cold coming on (the slightest sniffle or need for kleenex in my case), I rip open one of these Emergen-C packets.



Vitamin C is great for your immune system, and it comes from oranges and lemons, so it's going to taste good. The fizzy bubbles are also kinda fun!

Drinking water is another super easy, obvious way to stay healthy. I fill up this 27 oz. water bottle at the beginning of each day and try to finish it by 3:00. After school, I usually drink another 16 oz. at the gym and then another 16 oz. when I'm home for the evening.

I also keep a stash of tea and an electric kettle in my classroom for quick, warming relief when I feel a sore throat coming on. I also always have my favorite cough drops by my desk for those times when tea just won't cut it.

Hopefully all of these steps will keep me, and all of you, my dear readers, on top of (instead of under) the weather!