It's almost that time of year people give the gift that keeps on giving....the flu. We all want to avoid and yet, it is lurking on the next restaurant table, door knob or elevator ride....yikes! We have a few practical, cost effective and easy steps you can do to drastically lower your chances of getting sick this flu season. There are many things we are told to do, which is exercise, eat a balance meal and take supplements. However, we have three tips that are going to knock your socks off! Most of us get sick because of these three things we are not doing...

1. EMBRACE COLD FOOT SOAKING: Did you know by soaking your feet in cold water for only 15 seconds can and will boost your immunity? Well, it is true. This one simple step will boost immunity, ease stress and relieve depression.

• Gather a foot bin, foot towel and add some cold water into the bin enough to fully cover your feet. Soak your feet for 15-30 seconds. Remove and towel blot dry. This is a great opportunity to do a gently foot massage with a foot butter or cream.

2. ALLEVIATE STRESS: Most of us are always thinking of what we need to do. What we haven't done and what we could have done more of keeping our minds super busy until the wee hours of the night. You can relieve stress in different ways. Here are few of our favorite ways to melt stress away and it has nothing to do with the gym.

• Veg out. If you have kids, once you put them to bed, make it an effort at least once or twice a week to allow yourself to indulge in movie or read a book. Allowing your mind to let go of the to do list going on in your mind. 
• Relax & soak. Either taking a bath or soaking your feet will help the stress-o-meter move down a few pegs. Add some relaxing oils such as chamomile, lavender or frankincense or check out our revitalizing foot soaks.

3. GET ENOUGH SLEEP: Getting great sleep is probably one of the biggest desires of most adults. We live in a fast paced life that is filled to the brim with things to do and stimulus. There's always someone tweeting you, snapping at you or we are streaming something. With that said, as adults we all should be getting a minimum of six hours of sleep each night with the goal of 7 hours of sleep.

So how can we achieve this? No matter the answer, you need to get in the mindset that something needs to change. Plus, it will take time for it to become second nature. We wanted to share some of our best tips to set you up for success to get the best sleep ever!

• Before going to bed, give yourself a gentle one minute massage on each foot. It is quick and simple, yet reaps tons of benefits. For even more benefit, use our Revitalizing Oil.  
• Keep a pad & pen on your night stand and write down anything that is on your mind. This way you can woosaaaaaw it away before closing your eyes, allowing for a more peaceful sleep.

By doing these three practical steps, you will boost your immunity and decrease your chances of getting the seasonal flu that plagues many of us each and every year. Combining our suggestions with common sense actions such as washing your hands and avoid touching your face to keep from getting sick. This way your vacation days can be used for exactly that....vacation.