Good hygiene is all about keeping yourself and your surroundings clean and tidy so that you can stay healthy and happy. If you don't take care of yourself, you might start growing your own personal colony of bacteria and germs. And no one wants to be known as "the human Petri dish."

However, even the cleanest specimens among us get sick. So if you want to do everything in your power to avoid catching a cold, the flu, or something more serious, these are the ways you can use your tech to do it.

Practice Better Hygiene With Handwashing Reminders

The most underrated way to avoid getting sick is to wash your hands—properly! Most people spend a few seconds soaping and rinsing, but to really battle cold and flu bugs, you want to "perform all positions." This means spending enough time washing your palms, fingernails, the backs of your hands, and even your wrists.

You can sing Happy Birthday in your head as a way of making sure you scrub for long enough, or you can use the Apple Watch's handwashing timer, which also lets you set reminders to clean your grubby little nose pickers throughout the day.

Alternatively, you can check out Amazon's smart soap dispenser, which is equipped with 10 LED lights that act as a countdown timer as you wash your hands. Like the Apple Watch's handwashing feature, the timer will indicate when you've washed your hands for at least 20 seconds.

In addition to your hands, you should always keep things like your smartphone, keys, and anything else you touch or put near your face as clean as possible. Ultraviolet (UV) light devices are a great way to disinfect these kinds of items. For example, the Marquee Innovations UV sterilizer is a smartphone-sized sterilizer equipped with wireless charging. Boo-ya!

Get Some Exercise With a Smart Gym

Probably the best way to protect your body from microscopic invaders is to strengthen your physical defense system. By boosting your immune system, you make it harder for viruses to turn you into a sniffling, sneezing mess.

Apps can help you get into shape by providing a variety of tools and resources, such as workout plans, tracking and progress monitoring—even virtual personal trainers.

Several apps gamify fitness, making fun to break a sweat. For example, the Zombies, Run! app makes you a character in a zombie apocalypse, and the only way to survive is to run in the real world. Another app turns your workout into a quest through magical lands. Now you can nerd out, get fit, and build your immune system all at the same time!

Another option you might want to consider is a smart fitness mirror. This type of product is a great choice because it provides convenience, privacy, and a comfortable workout environment. Not only can you work out in your pajamas, but you'll never have to worry about someone stealing your weights or leaving the machines all sweaty and gross.

Eat Well for Better Immune Health

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help boost your immune system, which can help fend off all sorts of bad bugs. If you're having trouble consuming enough nutrient-dense foods, here are some tips you can try.

First off, if you have a blender and the will to pulverize food, check out one of these smoothie apps. The app 101 Smoothie Recipes is a simple but effective example with enough recipes to keep things interesting for months.

Smoothies are the simplest and quickest way to add more fruit and vegetables to your diet. There are also websites dedicated to helping you find juice recipes based on what you have in the fridge. Lastly, if you prefer to chew your greens (because you're old-school like that), there are apps dedicated to preparing plant-based meals, including salads and even deserts.

Sleep Better With Sleep Trackers and Smart Alarms

You snooze, you win! A good night's sleep can help you combat germs and come out on top. That's because when you're well rested, you're better equipped to deal with the stress of everyday life. And when your body is under less stress, your immune system is stronger.

If you have no idea how well you're sleeping or if you're already in sleep debt, you're in luck. There are several things you can do to catch up on lost sleep, from using a wearable sleep tracker to setting strict sleep schedules or using something like a sleeping mask. By making sleep a priority, you'll be far less likely to wind up calling in sick to work.

There are even sleep trackers out there that are contactless, such as the Amazon Halo Rise. Not only can this device track your sleep wirelessly from your bedside table using radar and AI, but it can also wake you up during your lightest stage of sleep using a light that mimics the rising sun.

Choose Nonalcoholic Drinks

When you drink alcohol, it can suppress the function of certain immune cells, making it harder for your body to fight off infection. Plus, it can also lead to inflammation, which can further weaken the immune system. As if that weren't bad enough, drinking too much can also lead to poor sleep.

To help avoid the side effects of any bad habit, you can try some of the many apps that can help you quit bad habits. If you find yourself in social situations where drinking is expected, you can still raise a glass by making one of the fantastic mocktail recipes on YouTube.

Alternatively, you may be interested in meeting new friends with the same healthy priorities as you. Check out local events on Meet Up and start spending time hiking, cycling, or hanging with other peeps without negative temptations.

Use These Tech Tips to Improve Your Body's Ability to Fight Off Sickness

Many of the steps you can take to avoid getting sick involve taking personal responsibility for how you treat your body, including eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep.

Using the apps, websites, and devices above may help you follow through on enough of these tips regularly to improve your resilience against sickness in the short term and improve your overall health in the long term, too.