Out of Sick Days? Avoid the Office Cold Using These 5 Tactics

Tip #3: Keep Your Hand Sanitizer Handy. While hand-washing is the number one thing you can do to keep yourself healthy, it's not always possible when you can't leave your station during a shift, especially if you have a job where you're constantly coming into contact with people. In that case, a small bottle of instant hand sanitizer will be just as effective. Choose from organic options like Burt's Bees Aloe & Witch Hazel (burtsbees.com) or EO biodegradable hand wipes (www.eoproducts.com) or other brands like Purell (www.gojo.com) or Germ-X (www.germx.com).

Tip #4: Make a Concerted Effort Not to Touch Your Face. The average adult touches their face one to three times every five minutes. Any time you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, you're essentially giving germs a free ride into your body. Try to find a new nervous habit.

Tip #5: Stash an Emergency Health Kit at Your Desk. Whether you swear by Airborne, vitamin C, or zinc lozenges, keep whatever you need to boost your immune system at your desk. Since most people work for eight hours or longer, you might just be able to nip an oncoming cold in the bud before it strikes.

And, if these tactics pay off, you might just have a few sick days left over when the spring comes.