Eat green things. Exercise daily. Get your flu shot. You know the routine. It may be the same routine you follow every year to decrease your chances of nabbing the dreaded flu, which can be especially horrific if you suffer from emetophobia.
Not every preventative method, however, comes in the color green or involves a treadmill or syringe. You can boost your immune system in a variety of ways, and we gathered a trio of them that can be a heck of a lot of fun.
Laugh. The old cliché holds true. Laughter really is the best medicine, or at least one of the best. One of the things that kicks your health to the curb quicker than anything else is chronic stress, and laughter alleviates stress and anxiety by allowing you to let loose and guffaw.
A study out of California’s Linda Loma University found that laughter boosts the immune system and decreases stress hormones. That relaxation you get from letting loose or letting out a guffaw can last up to 45 minutes after the laugh, adds Glenn Braunstein, chairman of Cedars-Sinai’s Department of Medicine. The overall effects on your immune system can extend even longer.
Give yourself something to look forward to. Those same Linda Loma University researchers that discovered laughter can enhance your immune system also found looking forward to something can do the same.
The research team checked out stress levels in two groups of study participants. One group was looking forward to something they enjoyed while the other group had neutral emotions. The group who had a fun event on the schedule had lower levels of detrimental stress hormones than those who had nothing fun planned. The hormones that were lowered are some of the same ones that prey on and weaken the immune system over time.
Hang out with pals. Whether you go for an in-person night out or a marathon phone conversation, staying connected with people you care about is another way to help keep the flu and vomit fears at bay. That’s because loneliness is yet another factor that acts as a chronic stress inducer and thereby weakens your immune system.
A study shared at the yearly Society for Personality and Social Psychology meeting in New Orleans found loneliness not only musses up the immune system, but it can also make it tougher for your body to fight inflammation and your mind to fight negativity.
If you really want to go for a flu and vomit phobia prevention plan, you can combine all three techniques for a triple dose of emetophobia prevention in one fell swoop. Hang out with friends, laugh and plan the event a week in advance so you have an entire week to look forward to it.
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