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Colds and flu – coming to a workplace near you!

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It might seem like avoiding the annual cold or flu is impossible, especially if you work in a close-knit office, for example, where the kitchen, café, photocopiers and even the conditioned air you breathe are all for communal use.

But the first spluttering coughs and wheezes of the season don’t have to mean that everyone in the workplace has an unavoidable date with the doctor. Take a look at our survival guide to help you avoid going down with the big sneeze this winter.

  • Get a flu jab to help minimise your chances of going down with this annual horror. Some workplaces offer a flu jab clinic but if not, you should be able to organise it through your GP.
  • Keep it clean! Make sure your desk is free of clutter and food and use anti-bacterial wipes to kill off any lurking bacteria. Your keyboard is likely the worst culprit for harbouring germs simply because you touch it all the time – remember to give it a clean once or twice a week to see off those invisible assailants.
  • Let’s have a show of hands . . . keep them clean – it’s that simple! Wash your hands frequently and avoid touching your face to minimise the possibility of transferring any bacteria on your fingers to your face.
  • Sanitise for extra security. Keep a mini bottle of hand sanitiser on your desk and use frequently – especially after touching anything used by lots of people such as the photocopier, kettle in the kitchen or the coffee machine.
  • Prevention is better than the cure! Stash some fizzy vitamin C tablets in your draw and keep the sniffles at bay. Have one each morning when you get to work to kick your immune system into action.
  • Get fit and stay healthy. Making sure you are in good health can make all the difference to keeping the dreaded diseases at bay during the winter months. If your diet is healthy and you exercise regularly, you are less likely to fall foul of the flu so make sure you keep up with keeping fit all year round.

Lastly, if you do find yourself falling foul of the flu, don’t be a martyr and struggle into work – you won’t win any awards for being the source of the infection that spreads through the workplace like wildfire. Do yourself and your colleagues a favour and stay at home in the warm while you recover.

Cut down on the stress of your daily commute

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Whether you take the train, tube or bus, or drive into work every day, the chances are that you experience some level of stress during your journey.

Your drive in might be relatively easy unless you reach that particular pinch point roundabout a few minutes later than usual, and your train journey might be reasonable until an unforeseen delay due to a signal failure.

A commute longer than 20 minutes increases your susceptibility to chronic stress.

In fact, even though the uncontrollable events that sometimes hinder our daily commutes can have a negative effect on our mood, the impact of ever longer journeys on our general mental and physical health is much more sinister.

Getting to work

According to statistics from the Royal Society of Public Health, just last year there were a staggering 24 million regular commuters in England and Wales travelling to and from work for just under an hour, on average, per day. This rose to almost an hour and quarter for those commuting into big cities such as London and Manchester. It seems like a long time to be suffering the associated stresses of uncomfortable temperatures, overcrowding, journey delays and lack of control (as a passenger), doesn’t it? But consider too, that a commute longer than 20 minutes (however you choose to travel) increases your susceptibility to chronic stress, and over 35 minutes makes you more cynical, it’s clear to see the negative impact a lengthy commute can have on your mental wellbeing.

Unfortunately it doesn’t just stop there. A longer commute time sees an increased likelihood of snacking (particularly on unhealthy ‘fast’ food) and less time for exercise which means physical health can also be negatively affected.

So what can you do to minimise the strain and pain of an extended commute into work?

  • Take advantage of flexible working if your company supports it. Employers are increasingly open to flexible working patterns and working from home is more common than ever before.
  • Try parking a little further away from the office, or get off the bus/tube one stop before your destination and walk. Even walking for 10-15 minutes will help to raise your heart rate and gives you some vital time to prepare yourself calmly for the day ahead.
  • Why not cycle to work? Cycling will help to keep you fit and healthy, sees you doing your bit for the environment by reducing carbon emissions and won’t cost in fuel (apart from your own!) If your company operates a cycle-to-work scheme, you can ‘hire’ a bike through the scheme and pay for it through Salary Exchange (as long as your company offers it).

Our Why BWell 2017 research shows that 35% of the 18-29 age group and 29% of the 30-49s surveyed agree or strongly agree that their commute has a negative impact on their mood. Find out more about wellbeing in the UK workplace in the full research HERE.