Why Being a Hermit was Good for My Health

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

29 Dec 2007 07:10 PM

Okay... I'm partly joking with that title.

I'm also partly serious.

I'm also feeling grumpy because I caught a cold from my coworkers at the cats only boarding facility -- two of my coworkers were sick this week, but came to work anyway because we had a full house. Now I'm home sniffling, sneezing, and building a mountain of used tissues next to the bed!

Definitely not how I wanted to spend my Saturday.

Since March 2006, I've been doing the freelance writing thing as a full time job. It's great in so many ways -- I set my own hours, I am my own boss, I have the freedom to turn down jobs I don't want and take the ones I do want. I really love it. But it can also be lonely. I spend a lot of time at home in front of the computer. (I talk to my dogs a lot.)

I also don't get exposed to the bugs that run rampant through schools and offices. So I've been pretty healthy -- aside from the occasional brush with a sinus infection here and there -- since I left the traditional workforce. Now that I've got my job at the cats only boarding facility, I can see a lot more colds in my future. I've got coworkers and cat owners to deal with on a regular basis.

I guess it's time to kick my immune system into overdrive! What can you do to protect yourself (besides never leave the house)?

• Wash your hands frequently -- especially if you're sharing things that sick coworkers may have touched. Use soap and hot water.
• Take a multivitamin. Give your body the fuel it needs to be healthy!
• Get plenty of sleep. If you're short on sleep, your body can't fight infection as well.
• Get a flu shot. This is usually the most helpful if you get your flu shot in the fall -- it can protect you through the fall and winter and into the spring.
• Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze so you don't spread your own germs to your coworkers!

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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