5 Ways To Stay Healthy When You Work With Kids

Posted on: 8 February 2017

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If you work with young kids all day in a school or daycare setting, you are going to be exposed directly to more germs than other professions. Young children touch everything and touch you, which can result in the rapid spread of germs. Additionally, working with young children can be highly stressful, which can compromise your immune system. Here are five tips that will help you stay healthy throughout the winter as you work with and around young children. 

#1 Get In Your Breakfast

You probably encourage your students to eat a healthy breakfast so they are ready to learn. The same goes for you; you need to eat a healthy breakfast so you have the energy to start your day. Eating breakfast will also help build up your immune system. 

If you find it difficult to fit breakfast into your daily routine, make it easy on yourself. You can make breakfast casserole muffins that you can grab and go on the way out the door, or pre-made oatmeal or yogurt and fruit dishes. These are all easy ways that you can enjoy a great breakfast without a lot of effort. 

#2 Pack Healthy Snacks

In order to keep your energy up throughout the day, you need to make sure that you are getting the right type of energy. Don't resort to junk food or whatever comes out of the vending machine at your school. Instead, pack snacks ahead of time to take with you to school.

Some great, easy to eat and prepared snacks include nuts and trail mixes, dried fruit, cut up fresh fruit and vegetables, and cheese sticks. These are all easy to eat snacks that will provide you with the energy and vitamins that your body needs in order to get through the day and fight off illness. 

#3 Keep Your Classroom Clean

Do not rely on your janitor to keep your classroom clean. Fight back and take steps on your own to keep your classroom clean. Spray down and wipe off all of your countertops, tables, and work surfaces with a bleach water solution. You'll want to wipe down these surfaces at the end of each day. 

You are going to also want to wipe down areas that you use frequently throughout the day. For example, if you have a table where you teach a small group, you'll want to wipe down that table between each small group. 

You should also wash your hands as much as possible and use hand sanitizer when you can. Teach and enlist your students in keeping your classroom clean. Encourage them to wash their hands, let them use hand sanitizer, and teach them how to hide their coughs and sneezes. 

#4 Take A Break

Stress can really have a negative impact on your ability to stay healthy. You need to manage your stress levels if you want to be able to fight back against any germs that you may encounter.

When you can, take tiny mental breaks during the day where your breathe and relax. Figure out what triggers your stress at work, and work to reduce those triggers. Eat your lunch somewhere where you are able to relax that doesn't add to your stress, be it the break room, your car, or a nearby bench. 

#5 Get Your Flu Shot

Finally, it is vitally important that you get your flu shot. Getting a flu shot will help you fight back against the worst of the winter illnesses and will help protect your health and the health of the kids that you work with. 

Try to stay healthy this winter by eating a healthy breakfast as well as healthy snacks, keep your classroom clean, work on reducing your stress level, and make sure that you get your flu shot. For more health tips, check out online blogs like chronicpaindaily.com or talk with a doctor about what you can do to prevent illness.