MICRO-Wellness March: Selfless AND Effective Wellness with Hand washing
Did YOU know?
The average hand-washing time is 6 seconds, less than half of what is recommended? And only 5% of us regularly wash long and thoroughly enough.
Time to stop hand spritzing and start hand-washing!
[A Selfless MICRO-habit]
Dr. James Hamblin calls hand-washing “one of the world’s most crucial and selfless acts.” He explains that amid the concern of the coronavirus crisis, it’s time to take heed of the time-honored advice that can slow the spread of most viruses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have one clear, concise and definitive recommendation:
[Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds]
If you’re ready to commit to creating the 20 second MICRO-habit of proper AND frequent hand-washing, read on to learn how and when to wash those hands!
[Hand-washing Refresher]
The CDC reminds of us of the simple steps to an effective 20-second hand wash.
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
- Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
[It’s not just the bathroom visit]
In addition to longer hand-washing, washing your hands more frequently will decrease your chances of catching or spreading a virus. The CDC recommends washing hands:
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- Before eating food
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After using the toilet
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
- After touching garbage
[Use Hand Sanitizer When You Can’t Use Soap and Water]
If you don’t have access to good ole soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Although they are not as effective in removing all types of germs, they can quickly reduce the number of germs on your hands.
The same 20-second rule applies. Rub the gel over all the surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry. This should take around 20 seconds.
[A good tiny behavior is easy to do—and fast. ~BJ Fogg, Stanford]
BJ Fogg of Stanford University reminds us that “a good tiny behavior is easy to do—and fast.” Not only is the MICRO-habit of hand-washing good for your health, it’s good for your family’s, your co-workers’, and our community’s. So, lather up, clear your throat, and hum a couple of rounds of “Happy Birthday” – to YOU!
SOURCE:
- Hamblin, J. 20 seconds to optimize hand wellness. (Feb. 2020). The Atlantic Website. Accessed February 27, 2020. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/02/hand-wellness/606181/
- CDC Website. When and how to wash your hands. Accessed February 27, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html
