It's peak flu season and people everywhere are feeling the effects. Everyone is either sick with the flu or doing their best to avoid it. Of course, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but what to do when your best prevention efforts just aren't enough? This year, we have the particularly rough H3N2 strain which seems to not be affected by most vaccines.

It's also a pretty brutal strand that can make you feel even worse than other strands would. If you notice any flu symptoms at all, definitely make the trip to your nearest health clinic because the medicine, Tamiflu, is only really effective if administered within the first 48 hours. However, if you're like me and missed that 48-hour window, here are some tips to buckle down and wait this out. (Although you should still see a doctor to confirm it's the flu and for something to make the waiting a little easier!)

1. Rest

I know it's easy to want to get all of your work done, but the only way to recover from the flu is to rest as much as possible so your body can fight it off. With the added exhaustion and muscle aches, resting is really all you can do. Call into work or email your professors and let them know what's going on, and they should be very understanding. At the very least, they won't want you to infect them as well, so they probably won't have a problem with you staying home.

2. Rehydrate

Along with the flu comes super high fevers and chills. Sometimes this makes us sweat and we don't always think to replenish the fluids we lose from that. Your body is struggling and using up its resources quickly, so make sure to drink all that you can to help your body do its best job (while being sure not to overhydrate!)

3. Refuel

Trust me, I know it's hard to be hungry when you're sick. I know everything tastes funky and nothing is appetizing and even your favorite foods just aren't the same. But it is so important to make sure your body has the nutrients it needs to fuel itself to fight this off. Even if you don't feel hungry at all, eat at least a little bit. Chicken noodle soup is a typical favorite for sick days. It's easy to eat since it's not all solid but it also provides you with the nutrients you need.

The flu really does suck. It knocks you out and puts you behind in your work, whether it's for a job or school or both. It also makes you feel really gross and it's just not a fun time. But all we can really do is wait it out and rest while we can. If you're currently waiting it out, just know you're not alone. I'm still waiting it out, too.