If you haven’t already gotten it, you will. I’m talking about a cold, the flu or, god forbid, the double-whammy combination of the cold and flu. As we move through autumn and into winter, you and your family are bound to get sick at some point.
While it’s never fun to experience coughing, sneezing, sore throat, fever, body aches and all of the other uncomfortable symptoms that can leave you languishing in bed for days, there are a couple of easy things you can do so you’ll be prepared when it hits. These three simple DIY tricks from Little Things are totally necessary for flu season.
1. Use Steam To Fight Congestion
This first DIY hack is an easy-to-make shower steamer, which consists of baking soda, citric acid and eucalyptus essential oil. Mix all of these together, spray with with hazel and then let dry in a mold. Pop one on the floor of the shower when you’re feeling sniffly. The steamer will dissolve with the steam, activating the eucalyptus oil (which can help with nasal congestion).
2. Soothe Your Cough-Induced Sore Throat
At this point, you could probably benefit from a soothing, honey-lemon cough soother. Just heat coconut oil, lemon juice and honey in a pot, then pour into a jar for storage. Take some when you have a sore throat or cough—honey is an effective cough suppressant, according to the Mayo Clinic. This healing mixture is also great to put into tea or hot water as you hydrate through your illness.
3. Keep Cozy
Last but not least is the handy rice sock. This is an uber-simple, at-home heating device, which can be made by—you guessed it!—putting rice into a sock. You can heat this up in the microwave for about a minute to create a portable and reusable alternative to a heating pad or hot water bottle. It feels great on an aching back, upset stomach or on tense muscles anywhere on the body.
Watch the video below for the step-by-step process for all three of the simple, DIY cold and flu soothers.
And while it’s great to have these remedies on hand, don’t forget to get a flu shot! It can seriously up your immunity to this year’s strain of influenza.