By Jingduan Yang, MD
During cold and flu season, people always ask: what’s the one thing I can do to avoid getting sick?
To be entirely honest, there isn’t just one such magical thing. Prevention works when you layer several small steps together and ideally do so on a daily basis.
I think about this in four areas: Anatomy, Chemistry, Energy, and Soul—the ACES framework I use in my practice—because infections don’t just attack your immune system. They take advantage of weak points across your whole body and life.
Strong Physical Barriers
Anatomy means protecting your physical barriers. Keep your airways healthy. Drink enough water—when your mucous membranes dry out, viruses have an easier time getting in. If you live somewhere with dry winter air, run a humidifier at night. And on days when you know you’ll be exposed—airports, crowded events—wearing a good mask is smart, especially if you’re a higher risk.
Safeguard Immune System
Chemistry is about reducing exposure and supporting your immune system. Wash your hands regularly—soap and water beats hand sanitizer when you have the option. Get your flu shot. It’s not perfect, but it’s still one of the best tools we have. And pay attention to air quality indoors. Open windows when you can. Change your furnace filter. If you’re in shared spaces a lot, a High Efficiency Particulate Air filter (HEPA) filter helps. It’s a type of air filter that can remove about 99% of airborne particles.
Support Better Sleep
Energy means sleep and managing stress. If I could only tell someone to do one thing, it would be: protect your sleep. Go to bed at roughly the same time, even on weekends. Get outside and move every day, even if it’s just a walk. And give yourself a way to reset stress—something as simple as two minutes of slow breathing through your nose can shift your body out of constant stress mode, which directly affects how well your immune system works.
Loneliness Lowers Immune Defenses
Soul is about connection and responsibility. Loneliness actually weakens your immune system—we can measure that. So, stay connected to people you care about. But there’s also a community piece here: if you get sick, stay home. Don’t push through it and expose other people, especially people who are vulnerable.
Simple Plan That Works
To summarize, here’s the practical plan to avoid getting sick during cold and flu season: Do the basics every day. Add extra protection when you know exposure is high. And if you start feeling symptoms, rest early, drink water, and don’t wait too long to get help if you’re high-risk or things get worse.
It’s not complicated. It just takes some daily discipline.
About Dr. Jingduan Yang
Dr. Jingduan Yang is CEO of Northern Medical Center. He specializes in psychiatry, integrative medicine, and following his family’s tradition, is a fifth-generation teacher and practitioner of Chinese medicine, specializing in acupuncture.
Northern Medical Center delivers compassionate, comprehensive, integrative care that treats body, mind, and spirit, combining conventional medicine with acupuncture, nutrition, behavioral health, IV therapy, TMS, and more.
Northern Medical Center offers primary care, pediatrics, mental health treatments, weight management, acupuncture, DOT physical exam, physical therapy, integrative medicine services.
Please consider supporting us by sharing this article with your friends and family!