So, there you are, hunched over your desk, eyelids flickering to the healthy glow of your desktop monitor, when suddenly your coworker sneezes -- once, again and then once more -- only, they aren't alone. Another coworker sneezes, then another. Suddenly, it dawns on you that you are surrounded by sickies. What do you do? Follow these 4 steps to prevent a cold, of course.

Wash your hands
The most effective, obvious and repeatable slogan of any and all cold and flu prevention programs is really the simplest: Wash your hands! It is almost astonishing just how effective this seemingly petty task can be. Wash your hands properly and frequently.

Proper technique: Lather with regular soap and warm water, then vigorously scrub your hands for at least 15 seconds. Keep in mind that common colds and flu are caused by viruses, so antibacterial soap will work no better than regular soap. Make sure to scrub between the fingers and the backs of your hands and wrists, then rinse. If you can, dry with a paper towel. The ultra-cautious may even open the bathroom door with a paper towel on the way out.

In and around the office, continue to avoid commonly touched surfaces such as doorknobs, fridge and microwave handles, as well as sick persons' keyboards and mouses whenever possible. If touching is unavoidable, just don't touch your face (mouth, eyes, nose) until you've washed your hands, and avoid eating at your desk if you can.

Lastly, be sure to keep a healthy dose of alcohol-based hand sanitizer at your desk. We all know that such products can dry out the hands, but sanitizers are simple to use and highly effective against colds and flu.

Drink plenty of fluids
Water, juice, non-caffeinated green tea, and warm soup are all good choices to prevent a cold. Presumably, drinking such fluids helps to flush the system and keeps the body hydrated and primed to fight infection. Drinking ample fluids once you are actually sick will help replace fluids lost during mucus production or fever. Admittedly, however, this very common advice has never really been investigated in any clinical trial. What does this mean? Well, basically, the idea that drinking till you drop will fight a cold or flu is pretty much based on pure speculation.

If only the same could be said for vitamin C or echinacea: these highly touted cold remedies have been put to the test, and the results aren't exactly promising. Several large systematic reviews looking at all the clinical studies conducted to date found no benefit whatsoever for either vitamin C or echinacea, although a small reduction in cold severity and duration was seen for those already taking vitamin C on a regular basis. Bottom line: If you're hoping to prevent a cold or squash a cold by taking megadoses of vitamin C once you feel one coming on, don't put too much hope in vitamin C -- you're likely wasting your time.

Get some R & R
Emotional stress weakens the immune system, plain and simple. If you're overly stressed for long periods of time, you're at greater risk of becoming sick. To counter stress, be sure to get lots of rest. This might mean moving your bedtime to an earlier hour during those dark winter months to ensure that you're getting more sunlight and maximizing your energy. Beyond rest, try practicing daily relaxation techniques such as meditation. Relaxation techniques, like meditation, have been shown to boost the immune system, with the effect in some cases lasting months beyond the stopping point of a regular meditation routine.

Be proactive
We've said it before but we'll say it again: Nobody cares more about your health than you. Being proactive in terms of preventing a cold means kicking your smoking habits and drinking binges. Cigarette smoke actually dries out and paralyzes the little hairs called cilia lining your throat, thus preventing them from being able to push virus particles out and away from the lining of the throat.

Being proactive means pressuring for a work policy that forces workers who are sick to stay home. If you encounter some resistance in getting this going, just lay down a little common sense: In the big picture, productivity will drop more if the entire office ends up getting sick versus if one individual misses a few days.

Being proactive means pushing to have alcohol-based hand sanitizers placed around the office for quick and easy use.

Being proactive means exercising regularly, particularly cardiovascular exercise, which goes a long way to strengthening the immune system.

Do we need to say it again? Oh, alright: Be proactive.