5 Natural Ways To Boost Immunity

I knew this girl in college who, every flu season, would start preaching about the benefits of eating raw onions and taking fish oil pills to boost her immune system. She was a bit fanatical about it and loved to corner anyone who didn’t know to avoid getting sucked into the conversation.

Whether or not there might have been some benefit to fish oil or onions, the only thing her approach definitely prevented was anyone wanting to sit by her in class.

In this time of masks and gloves for grocery store runs and the possibility that hand sanitizer may soon be declared official U.S. currency, we all have immunity on the brain.

Our nervous systems have been running in overdrive, which has left our bodies and minds stressed and our immune systems compromised.

But before you take a big ol’ bite out of that onion like it’s a shiny Granny Smith apply, I want to share my favorite 5 ways to boost immunity simply and naturally:

1. Breathe. On purpose. 

As soon as you wake up, find a comfortable place to sit and focus on your breathing for a minute or two. Not only does it strengthen your lungs and move oxygen through your body, it’s also a peaceful way to begin your day that leaves you more resilient to the stresses that pop up throughout the day as well.

Here’s a technique to try: 

• Breathe in through your nose for a count of 6.

• Hold for a count of 2.

• Exhale out through your nose for a count of 8. 

• Repeat for 4 rounds of breath. (1-2 minutes)

Click here for a guided version of this breathing exercise. 

2. Do a Meditation Practice. 

Seriously, I cannot encourage this strongly enough. Meditation helps manage stress, and stress rocks our immune system. 

Take a few minutes (after the above breathing exercise would be perfect!) to be still and focus on the breath. 

Set a timer for 5 minutes and simply sit still and breathe. 

When your mind wanders, simply notice it with compassion and kindness to yourself and and gently return your thoughts to your breath.

3. Practice Gratitude.

Similar to the above practices, a gratitude practices eases anxiety and helps us stay focused on what is good in our lives, relieving some of the fear and tension that can be brought on by uncertainty.

Start the positive momentum going first thing in the morning with a good dose of gratitude by making a list of 5 things you're grateful for at that moment. 

Write them down. You can jot them into a journal or notebook or take the digital route. I like to use Evernote and carry my list with me throughout my day. 

Do the same in the evening. Take a few minutes to reflect on your morning list and add 5 things that you were grateful for from the day for a total of 10. 

Don’t get hung up on what to be grateful for— it can be anything! 

The other day I was grateful to see the birds and squirrels in my yard reminding me that spring is coming.

4. Try Segment Intending. 

"Segment intending” is a fancy way of saying that you visualize an ideal outcome or experience. You imagine about how you’d like an experience in your day to go.

I’ve recently started doing this myself and it’s been powerful. 

For instance, I had to go to Cosco the other day. Instead of thinking about people’s horror stories or that it would be a nightmare, I simply repeated in my head on my way there: "I’m going to have a great experience at Cosco today. It’s not going to be crowded. They’re going to have what I need. I’m going to be in and out of the store.”  

Guess what? It worked. While there were no eggs or toilet paper, I still managed to get everything else I needed, there was no crowd, and overall it was a pretty pleasant experience.

Anticipating the worst outcomes can sometimes be self-fulfilling prophecies. Try going the other direction instead. Again, stress and anxiety take a huge toll on your immune system and managing those things can go a long way towards staying healthy.

5. Strengthen Your Body and Mind.

C’mon, you didn’t honestly expect me to skip this one, did you?

 Take care of your mental and physical body. 

Move your body daily. This keeps your body healthy on multiple levels, from oxygenating our blood, strengthening our tissues, and it has a direct effect on stress and tension. 

Notice the words you are using throughout your day. Try to hear what things you continually say and write them down. The words you are saying through out your day create your day. Bring awareness to what you’re saying and refocus so your words match how you want to be feeling. It’s a practice of reaching for better feeling thoughts.

See? Not an onion in sight. Though- bonus round!— plenty of veggies and good, healthy foods are always critical to a healthy immune system. So don’t skimp there!

Think of these as your daily dose of good medicine. 

They will help keep your mind and body running at their best, which will increase your immunity and help fight off dis-ease.

Stay happy and healthy, friends. Thank you all for showing up and being who you are. We are always stronger together.