Seattle is known for its rain, which can get quite chilly during the winter months. Combined, they make a treacherous duo. There’s a reason they call it “cold and flu season,” after all. It’s important in this time to keep ourselves healthy and to avoid spreading illness to others.

We have all taught since kindergarten the importance of washing our hands, and we’ve all lived through the COVID-19 pandemic, but illness lives on. The flu, the common cold, and more serious things like strep throat are all around, and all contagious.

Tips for staying healthy from students around the school include staying away from people – including family members – who are sick, as a senior student who asked to remain anonymous but claims to often get sick says. They also advise you to get plenty of sleep, especially when you’re sick. The CDC, or Center for Disease control, backs this claim, noting that getting enough sleep can help you to “get sick less often.” It may not be something that first comes to mind when thinking about staying healthy, but it’s important nonetheless.

As a sophomore student who also wished to remain anonymous but who claims not to get sick, often mentioned, “I go to bed early every night and make sure I get at least 8 hours of sleep.” along with sleep, they also mentioned staying hydrated and taking vitamin supplements.

So, ideally you’d follow in the footsteps of this sophomore student and avoid getting sick yourself. Especially during this time of year, it’s important to keep ourselves and those around us healthy so we can end the school year strong.