Things to Do to Keep Your Health in Check During the Holidays

JAKARTA - In a matter of days, it will enter the Christmas and year-end holiday season. In the midst of the happiness of this holiday season, everyone must also remain vigilant and maintain their health, especially those who will travel long distances.

Therefore, it is important to prepare your health well and take preventive actions that trigger illness. Quoted from Huffpost on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, the following are some things to do to maintain health during the holidays from what doctors recommend.

1. Make sure the vaccine is up to date

: If on this holiday you travel far and meet many people, the first thing to do to maintain health is vaccination. Make sure you have received vaccines such as the influenza vaccine, and if you have already been vaccinated, make sure to update it.

“Update your vaccines as early as possible during the cold and flu season, which starts in October and peaks between December and February,” said emergency medicine physician Dr. Peggy Tseng Ji.

3. Wash hands regularly

: Make sure you wash your hands regularly, to prevent viruses from sticking and triggering unwanted illnesses during the holidays. Hand washing should be done using soap and water, or with alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

"Washing hands with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer may not be innovative, but evidence consistently shows that this ancient habit reduces the incidence of acute respiratory infections," he explained.

3. Don't let food in the open space for too long

: When gathering with family during the holidays, food is an important thing to provide. However, food is often left in the open for a long time, especially if the conversation with the family is exciting.

Padahal, membiarkan makanan di ruang terbuka dalam waktu lama tidak baik, karena bisa memicu pertumbuhan bakteri yang dapat menyebabkan gangguan pencernaan.

“Any food that is prepared/cooked or cold should not be left out for more than two hours. If you want to reheat leftovers in the microwave, make sure to reheat it back up to over 165 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Dr. Kirsten Bechtel.

5. Bring medical supplies

Dokter menyarankan untuk membawa perlengkapan medis, seperti beberapa obat dan pertolongan pertama, untuk mengatasi kejadian yang tak terduga saat liburan dengan cepat.

“It’s not a bad idea to have a fever reducer and a pain reliever like ibuprofen,” says Dr. Alexis Halpern.