I have a few habits that really help prevent the spread of illness each winter: I'm a frequent hand-washer and I wipe down the studio workstation before each air shift with a bleach sanitizing cloth. It takes just a few minutes but helps stop the spread of germs, since we all use the same board and microphone.

We're getting into the time of year where there are more colds and flu germs going around — and many of us are finding ourselves in more crowded spaces with holiday parties and shopping. So I partnered with my friends at Family First Urgent Care to share 5 good tips for battling the flu:

1) Give yourself the tools to make sanitizing a habit. Whether it's putting a big jug of hand sanitizer in a well-trafficked area of the office or making a regular habit of wiping down objects that are frequently touched, you're more likely to keep it up if you have the supplies handy. (Note my monster-sized Clorox wipe container in the main photo.)

2) If you're sick, stay home. It might be a hassle to pass work off to a co-worker while you're sick or to arrange alternate childcare while you're child is sick, but you aren't doing anyone any favors by sending a sick person into the general population. The Centers for Disease Control suggests making sure coworkers are cross-trained to cover for each other before illness strikes so employees don't feel silent pressure to work while sick.

3) Make sure you're washing your hands correctly. The CDC has some basic tips to make sure you're really getting your hands clean. You need to be scrubbing for at least 20 seconds, which is about the time it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice.

4) When you feel ill, pop into Urgent Care sooner rather than later. If you have something that needs medicine to clear up, it's best to start the medications ASAP.

5) If you haven't already, get the flu shot. I got mine months ago, and the truth is, it's not just protecting me, but it's also protecting the people around me. The fewer cases of the flu there are, the smaller the chance a young child, an elderly person, a pregnant woman or another person with a weaker immune system will encounter germs. (If you need more details about the flu shot, here are key facts from the CDC.)

Bradley Burascano/Townsquare Media
Bradley Burascano/Townsquare Media
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Family First Urgent Care makes it easy and convenient to get the flu shot or get an illness checked out, too. They are open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and have two locations: 1803 Highway 35, Oakhurst, and 1851 Hooper Ave., Toms River.

Walk-ins are welcome, but you also can make an appointment online here and by calling 732-531-0100 (Oakhurst) or 732-255-2001 (Toms River).

Here's to hoping we all make it through this flu season without getting sick!

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