How to survive freshers’ flu

What to remember:

1. Always looking for an excuse for a nap? Good news, more sleep is recommended when you’re feeling rundown.

2. Stay hydrated. Dehydration can make all the symptoms feel worse

3. Don’t deny that fresh sheet feeling. Make sure to wash your bedding and clothes to get rid of germs and help you feel fresher. Sunlight’s collection of fragrant detergents will give you some added luxury.

Going off to uni is exciting, packed with new friends, study and all kinds of new experiences. But just when you want extra reserves of energy, freshers’ flu can leave you feeling tired and ill. 

Take a day to eat healthy food, do your laundry and catch up on sleep. Your body will thank you.

What is freshers’ flu?

Freshers’ flu is the illness you get when you first go to uni due to the exchange of germs between you and other new uni goers.

Apart from being around new people and new environments, other causes of freshers’ flu include lack of sleep, eating junk food and uprooting yourself to a totally unfamiliar environment, dehydration and the stress related to lots of new social and academic demands.

Freshers’ flu symptoms:

• Fever

• Headaches

• Shivering

• Sneezing

• Raw nose from wiping it constantly

• Tiring, hacking cough

• Sore, scratchy throat

Here are the steps you can take to feel better.

How to cope:

• Get more sleep.

• Remember food is fuel, so try to get in your 5-a-day

• Drink lots of water.

• Ask for something at the pharmacy to alleviate the symptoms.

• Treat your skin gently, using soft tissues and a dab of Vaseline.

• Eat food with garlic in it to ward off germs.

• Sip hot drinks with lemon and ginger to ease the throat.

• Relieve stress with a meditation or yoga app.

• Focus on recovery so you can get back up, and get back out there!

Hunker down, recover and get back out there.