Daily Practices to Strengthen Your Immune System at Home

If you want to boost your immune health, you may wonder how to help your body fight off illnesses. 

While bolstering your immunity is easier said than done, several dietary and lifestyle changes may strengthen your body’s natural defenses and help you fight harmful pathogens, or disease-causing organisms.

Here are a few tips to strengthen your immunity naturally from the comfort of your own home:

1. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep and immunity are closely tied. In fact, inadequate or poor quality sleep is linked to a higher susceptibility to sickness. 

In a study in 164 healthy adults, those who slept fewer than 6 hours each night were more likely to catch a cold than those who slept 6 hours or more each night. Getting adequate rest may strengthen your natural immunity. Also, you may sleep more when sick to allow your immune system to better fight the illness.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, try limiting screen time for an hour before bed, as the blue light emitted from your phone, TV, and computer may disrupt your circadian rhythm, or your body’s natural wake-sleep cycle.

Other sleep habits include sleeping in a completely dark room or using a sleep mask, going to bed at the same time every night, and exercising regularly.

2. Stay Hydrated

Hydration doesn’t necessarily protect you from germs and viruses, but preventing dehydration is important to your overall health.

Dehydration can cause headaches and hinder your physical performance, focus, mood, digestion, and heart and kidney function. These complications can increase your susceptibility to illness.

Given that dehydration can make you more susceptible to illness, be sure you’re drinking plenty of water each day.

3. Manage Your Stress Levels

Long-term stress promotes inflammation, as well as imbalances in immune cell function.

Activities that may help you manage your stress include exercise, journaling, yoga, and other mindfulness practices. You may also benefit from seeing a licensed counselor or therapist, whether virtually or in person.

You can make several lifestyle and dietary changes today to strengthen your immune system. These include reducing your sugar intake, staying hydrated, working out regularly, getting adequate sleep, and managing your stress levels.

Although none of these suggestions can prevent COVID-19, they may reinforce your body’s defenses against harmful pathogens from the safety of your home.