We are often forced to work much like rats in a maze, or as one haughty executive has put it, like fish in an aquarium. He meant that, if we are more crowded than ever, it doesn't matter, since we are infinitely adaptable as a species ourselves. Rather than comment further, I will let that stand on its own.

Along with the high stress that such overcrowding produces, there are basically three reasons why we catch our coworkers' germs and become ill ourselves:

1. The arrangement of desks/workstations/open cubicles, whatever they're called where you work, often leaves much to be desired. Employees are frequently crammed into workstations that are too small for comfort, even on an open floor. Not only is there inadequate desktop space for paperwork, manuals, file trays, and other office tools, the arrangement puts people much too close to each other, like eggs in an egg carton, in fact.

A sneeze not caught by an adequately sized tissue can travel 3 to 6 feet at 100 to 150 mph, also spraying somewhat to the sides. Not much chance of ducking one of those, especially if your coworker sits facing you. Not that having a sneeze hurled at your back is anything but disgusting, but you're less likely to get sick from that one.

2. Even in today's supposedly educated society, it's quite amazing how many people don't wash their hands. This includes "rank-and-file" people, managers, and yes, my dears, church ladies on Sundays. Of course, in an emergency, such as having to leave a building due to the fire horn going off, hygiene is obviously going to take a backseat to survival.

Under all other circumstances, we all need to wash our hands frequently during the day, and especially after visiting the restroom. We can also protect ourselves and protect others, by keeping a bottle of "waterless" hand sanitizer at our desks and using it, when we've been sneezing. We can use disinfectant wipes to clean the handset or headset of the phone, our computer keyboards, and anything else we might have touched with contaminated hands or fingers.

3. Given the responsibilities and overwork that most of us deal with in today's world, our own health may not be as robust as it once could have been, regardless of our age. However, we can remedy that!

A worn-out body and nerves, and a run-down immune system, leave us more susceptible to illness, whether waterborne, airborne or carelessly plastered on doorknobs. Sickness can be nature's way of making us slow down and rest, but it's still better to do everything we can to avoid illnesses.

Among the most positive steps we can take now are:

eating a balanced diet (forget the fads),

getting enough sleep ("Americans" are severely sleep-deprived), and

finding a way to exercise a little every day.

About that exercise"it can seem impossible to find the time, when you're working long hours. Even so, from experience I've learned that just walking around the parking lot or around the block, for 10 or 15 minutes at lunchtime, tones the muscles. Not only does this make you feel a lot better, the muscles burn more calories. You can walk before or after you eat lunch, whatever works best for your digestive system. The important thing is to take care of yourself, so that you don't easily catch your coworkers' germs.

2006 Shirley Ann Parker