Do you ever feel run down and tired and just generally feeling that everything you try and do just seems hard work? Maybe your immune system is flagging a little. We owe it to ourselves to take good care of our bodies and this is even more important with today's hectic lifestyles - we are often running around, dealing with the day-to-day business of work, paying the mortgage and looking after a family and not spending enough time looking after our own health. Here is a simple 7-step guide that will help you correct some of your bad habits and give your body more of a chance to allow you to have a healthy lifestyle by boosting your immune system. Even if you only pick three and stick with them, you will stand a better chance of boosting your immune system and avoiding those irritating coughs and sneezes.

1. Get plenty of sleep. You really do need to get a good night's sleep. Quality rest is one of the most important things you can give yourself. Over-tiredness may depress your immune system and allow colds and coughs to take hold.

2. Eat a balanced diet. Proteins will help the body repair itself and complex carbohydrates such as oats, bread and pasta will provide the slow release of sugar your body needs to work efficiently. Fresh foodstuffs will provide vitamins to really boost immune systems and oily fish such as mackerel will provide omega-3 oils which are thought to be beneficial for long term health.

3. Drink plenty of water. As a rule the average person should drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. Tea and coffee do not count and neither do fizzy, sugary drinks. Squeezing a little fresh lemon juice into the water will make it tasty and provide extra vitamin C.

4. Avoid alcohol and coffee. Be careful of excess alcohol - drink too much and it can badly affect your sleep and this will have a further knock-on effect by weakening your immune system. Both alcohol and coffee will dehydrate your system making you feel sluggish and slow to respond.

5. Good personal hygiene. Always be aware of good hygiene practice - wash your hands regularly throughout the day, especially before eating and when you are unwell. This plays an important part in preventing the spread of micro-organisms which may play havoc with a weakened immune system.

6. Try to reduce stress. If you feel you have too much to do, make a list and cross things off until you complete them. Tasks which seem insurmountable at first do not seem quite so scary broken down into small steps.

7. Regular exercise. Even if it is just walking to work in the fresh air instead of sitting on a crowded bus full of people coughing and sneezing, this will give your body much needed exercise and allow you some "me time" for quiet reflection, as well as providing a welcome immune boost.

By following the lifestyle suggestions above you will be well on the way to being fitter, happier and healthier with a more robust immune system.