The winter months bring wonderful holidays that allow for precious time spent with family and friends. Unfortunately, this season also brings increased occurrences of illnesses and viruses. What can you do to stay as healthy as possible with the potential of sickness looming around? Follow the tips below for best practices to keep you and your family healthy all year round!

• Wash Your Hands. Simply running your hands under warm water with some soap for a few seconds won’t do the trick. Wash the entire surface of your hands including between the fingers and your wrists. We also recommend using a hand and nail brush to clean around and under nails. Continue this with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds – or long enough to sing “Happy Birthday” two times through.

• Use Hand Sanitizer. Imagine all the surfaces you touch every day: your mouse, keyboard, phone, desk, door handles, water cooler, etc. Unfortunately, just because you keep your hands clean, doesn’t mean everyone else who touches these items does the same. Most reports recommend using sanitizer with alcohol several times throughout the day to kill this contact bacteria.

• Clean Your Workspace. Germs can live on surfaces anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours or more. Disinfect hard and soft surfaces frequently, especially if you are beginning to feel sick or if you or a co-worker has recently been sick. Our selection of disinfectants and sanitizers will help to keep these sickly germs at bay.

• Keep Healthy Snacks Handy. While it’s easy to reach for the candy dish when those afternoon cravings come around, it’s better to reach for something healthy that will get you through the rest of the day. Try for some nuts or fruit, or even combine the two for some delicious trail mix! Your body will thank you, and you will stay satisfied longer than if you had gone for that candy bar.

• Take a Break! Are you putting in 8 hours on the job? If so, be sure to take your lunch hour break as well as your mini-break in the morning and afternoon. Step away from your desk, stretch your legs and step outside for some fresh air. Sometimes, 10 minutes away from your desk is all you need to feel re-energized.

• Catch Some Zzz’s. Your body needs sleep to function properly. The average person requires between 7-9 hours each night to allow their body to recharge and feel energized. If you find yourself going for the coffee pot too often or struggling to stay focused, it might be time to re-evaluate your sleep schedule.

Above all, do your best to protect your body from exposure to harmful bacteria, and listen to your body when it’s telling you that something’s not right. Share these tips with family, friends and co-workers to enhance the health of your common environments and to help better protect those around you from health hazards.