Another Winter beckons...

 

 

It’s NEVER down to simple chance and luck – or, more accurately, bad luck. Whether you’re in the “wrong” place at the “wrong” time and in contact with the “wrong” person. Phew! For a quick reminder about why there isn’t a Bogeyman out there, click here. 

 

Instead, IT’S DOWN TO OUR INDIVIDUAL SUSCEPTIBILITY. 

 

Whether we were susceptible to whatever it was, at the time we came into contact with it. And, if this all sounds a bit vague, there’s a very simple reason for it. Not only is susceptibility unique to every one of us BUT is affected by many different factors which include: 

 

Our medical history, as well as any current medical issues and any treatment we may be having / had for them. 

 

Our Lifestyle, which covers all the things we do on a daily basis, usually without ever stopping to think about them. Diet, hydration, sleep, exercise, stress and the like. 

 

Our personality and outlook on life. Whether we’re a “glass half empty or glass half full” person. Yes, a less than positive outlook on life really does have an impact on our Immune System and susceptibility, as well as how well / quickly we recover from any illness or other challenge. 

 

However, this is only the start. 

 

While these factors can be thought of as impacting on our underlying – or long term – susceptibility, it can also fluctuate a surprising amount on a day to day basis. In response to what may be happening to us – or around us – at any particular moment or on a particular day and how we then feel about it. 

 

We’ve all experienced this firsthand. Feeling our energy / mood drop during a stressful day, or in response to a stressful experience, whether expected or not. Finding that things which wouldn’t normally affect us – or press our buttons – seem to be doing so. These, in turn, all hit our individual susceptibility, whether for that particular moment or, if it’s more of an ongoing issue, on an ongoing basis. 

 

This is the reason why people often find they unexpectedly have a Cold after a stressful experience. Or, where the stress is more ongoing, this can really hit their ongoing susceptibility. Often leading to one Cold after another or one that drags on and never quite seems to clear. 

 

It also explains how you can be in the same room, bus or train with someone with a Cold – or other bug – and not then go on to develop it. You simply weren’t susceptible to whatever it was at that particular time… However, that doesn’t automatically mean you won’t be at another time… 

 

This is why lifestyle issues and choices are so important. Not only the ongoing ones – however much you may try to ignore them (!) – but also the small blips. A broken night – or night’s – sleep. Eating the “wrong” things. A night out on the tiles (!). An emotional upset, regardless of size and how much it seemed to affect you at the time. For a reminder about susceptibility, click here. 

 

Which neatly brings us on something that’s all too easy to catch up with us. So, here come the capitals again…  

 

BEING CAUTIOUS WITH QUICK / EASY FIXES, regardless of who’s offering them. As so often is the case, it’s about the process. What we do on an ongoing basis, rather than falling for an instant fix by someone else, particularly if it’s “sold” to us as meaning we don’t need to do anything for ourselves. Sadly, this always has longer term ramifications and rarely ends well… 

 

We’ve said it many times before, but it’s something we often forget – or take for granted. Our bodies are incredibly intelligent and resilient, easily coping with most things that happen in our lives. We just have to remember to give them the resources and time they need. In other words, make the right lifestyle choices. 

 

And here’s one more piece of commonsense that seems to go against conventional wisdom, so here come the capitals again (!). 

 

HAVING THE OCCASIONAL COLD, COUGH, FLU OR OTHER ACUTE ILLNESS IS NOT AUTOMATICALLY A “BAD” THING. Any acute illness gives our Immune System a good workout, as well as helping update it to the latest bugs doing the rounds. It’s rather like updating the anti virus software on your computer. 

 

Added to this, a raised temperature – as well as all that snot / catarrh – act as great detoxes, helping clear our bodies of any accumulated “rubbish”. So, taking it easy for a day or two, keeping warm and drinking plenty of fluids is often all that’s needed to quickly resolve the matter. If it drags on, or the temperature becomes too high, then it may be necessary to seek help but, again, all that’s needed is a little commonsense. For a reminder about the Immune System and how it does so much more than we realise, click here. 

 

For those of you who’d like some specific suggestions of things you can do at home this Winter, here are the links to our usual pre Winter advice. 

 

Click here for a reminder of the pre emptive things you can do at home to help prevent the worst happening. 

 

And here for what to do if the worst does happen. 

 

Finally, there’s last year’s post about the two very common mistakes many people make each Winter, which can be found here. 

 

As always, the choice is yours.