The Science of Meditation: How to Keep Your Mind off the Sniffles This Cold and Flu Season

With cold and flu season upon us, it’s more important than ever to look out for your health—but it can be hard to keep your mind off the sniffles when you’re trying to relax with your favorite TV show or book. The solution? Meditation! When you meditate, you allow yourself to enter into a state of deep relaxation where you can clear your mind of its usual distractions and focus solely on what’s going on in the present moment.

Meditation can decrease stress hormones

When you meditate, you tell your body that everything is okay. Not only does that help lower your cortisol levels and relieve stress, but it’s also a great opportunity to start exercise program, heal your body, heal your gut, how to deal with corona virus stress – all of which are critical in preventing illness during cold and flu season. (Click here for six common cold symptoms.)

Spending time focusing on yourself is good for the soul

When you meditate, learn English while you sleep, or use yoga to reduce inflammation in your body (instead of popping a pill), you’re actively focusing on your health—not just hoping that a pill will do it for you. Focusing on how to help yourself feel better (in whatever way) can be empowering and is often a good way to keep your mind busy so that it doesn’t get distracted by your sniffling cold. The best part?

Learn how to focus on breathing

While learning how to meditate may seem like a new concept, it’s actually just part of something you’ve been doing your whole life—breathing. One way you can use meditation as a cold-and-flu prevention strategy is by focusing on breathing. When we practice mindful breathing, we focus on our breath for a few minutes each day.

Get enough sleep

The right amount of sleep is different for everyone. If you’re constantly tired, aim for 7-9 hours per night. During a pandemic, or any other time when your stress levels are elevated, aim for 9-10 hours. Do you wake up in the middle of every night? Try cutting back on caffeine after lunchtime and see if that helps you get more restful sleep.

In general, it’s best to avoid napping during the day if possible—it can disrupt your circadian rhythm and make it harder to fall asleep at night. But if you have an early morning meeting or flight coming up, a quick 20-minute nap can help improve how alert you feel later on in the day. In general though, aim for at least 8 hours of sleep each night!

Try mindfulness meditation

When you meditate, you tell your mind that it is okay for it to slow down—even when your body feels sick. Try mindfulness meditation for a few minutes a day during cold and flu season. Close your eyes, breathe deeply through your nose, and notice any bodily sensations or mental thoughts that arise in that moment—imagine them as clouds passing by on a clear day. Repeat these steps until you feel relaxed or sleepy.

Practice gratitude

When you meditate, try writing down a list of things that you’re grateful for. Each time you find yourself distracted or stressed, take a few moments to revisit your list.

Not only will it remind you why you should be happy in your life—it can also help reduce inflammation and get healthier! Studies have shown that expressing gratitude lowers levels of stress hormones, which then lower levels of inflammatory markers in our bodies.

A 2013 study even found that people who wrote thank-you notes were more likely to feel better on days when they were sick with colds and flu symptoms than those who didn't write notes. It's simple advice, but definitely worth trying if you're feeling under the weather.

Covid is easy to prevent if you are proactive about taking steps against it.

*** Health Care Help ***