Watching what you eat can be a stress management tool as well as a health preserver. Another reason it's a good idea to maintain a healthy diet is that your diet can have an effect on your mood.
Some of the more immediate effects poor diet include feeling:. Eating well has important long-term consequences, but it may also help you feel more energetic and optimistic in the short-term as well. If you remind yourself that what you eat now will affect how you feel in the coming hours, it may be easier to stick to a healthy diet. Sleep can have a serious impact on your overall health and well-being. Make a commitment to get enough sleep at night. If you haven't gotten adequate sleep, you may be less productive, less mentally sharp, and otherwise more prone to the effects of stress.
Some good habits that can help:. You may be surprised by how much less stressed you feel when you're not tired if this is an issue for you right now. Following good strategies can help if you have trouble getting quality sleep when stressed. We've all heard the advice to eat right and exercise, but it can be difficult to fit in workouts around a busy schedule, particularly when you're feeling exhausted from stress.
One effective strategy for making fitness a regular part of your life is to build an exercise habit around your other habits—either attach a workout to your morning routine, your lunchtime habits, or make it a regular part of your evening—you get the idea.
If you make a morning jog part of your getting-ready-for-work routine, for example, it is much more likely to happen than if you wait until you feel like jogging and happen to have a free half-hour, especially if you lead a busy life like most of us and are tired at the end of the day.
Another important way to make exercise easier is to choose an activity that you actually enjoy. Some examples include walking while listening to an audiobook or attending a class at your gym where good music drives up your energy level.
Finding an activity that you enjoy means that you are more likely to stick with it. Find a form of exercise that you'd like to do and then find a time when you can make it work with your schedule. Avoid putting unhealthy substances into your body; nicotine, excess alcohol, and even excessive caffeine can take a toll on your health in the long run, but also make you feel lousy overall in your day-to-day life.
In fact, it helps if you can avoid allowing toxic thinking patterns from exacerbating your stress levels as well. These are three important ways to take care of your body that you may not naturally think of as stress relievers. If you set goals to make these ideas a reality in your life, not only will you feel the difference immediately, but you will also see results in multiple areas of your life in the coming weeks and months. Few habits come without effort, but these three can make a significant impact on your life, and are well worth the effort.
Struggling with stress? Our guide offers expert advice on how to better manage stress levels. Get it FREE when you sign up for our newsletter. The impact of stress on body function: A review.
Remember that eating healthy, getting regular physical activity, and other healthy habits are lifelong behaviors, not one-time events. Always keep an eye on your efforts and seek ways to deal with the planned and unplanned changes in life. Now that healthy eating and regular physical activity are part of your routine, keep things interesting, avoid slip-ups, and find ways to cope with what life throws at you.
Clinical trials are part of clinical research and at the heart of all medical advances. Clinical trials look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease. Researchers also use clinical trials to look at other aspects of care, such as improving the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses. Find out if clinical trials are right for you. Clinical trials that are currently open and are recruiting can be viewed at www. The NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public.
Contemplation: Are you thinking of making changes? Preparation: Have you made up your mind? Action: Have you started to make changes? Maintenance: Have you created a new routine? Clinical Trials Are you thinking about being more active? New habits may help you look better and have more energy. The four stages of changing a health behavior are contemplation preparation action maintenance What stage of change are you in?
You might be in this stage if your changes have become a normal part of your routine you have found creative ways to stick with your routine you have had slip-ups and setbacks but have been able to get past them and make progress Did you find your stage of change? Read on for ideas about what you can do next. Making the leap from thinking about change to taking action can be hard and may take a while. Make your new healthy habit a priority. Fit in physical activity whenever and wherever you can.
Try taking the stairs or getting off the bus a stop early if it is safe to do so. Healthy habits cost too much. You can walk around the mall, a school track, or a local park for free. Eat healthy on a budget by buying in bulk and when items are on sale, and by choosing frozen or canned fruits and vegetables. Recruit others to be active with you, which will help you stay motivated and safe.
Consider signing up for a fun fitness class like salsa dancing. Get your family or coworkers on the healthy eating bandwagon. Plan healthy meals together with your family, or start a healthy potluck once a week at work. Forget the old notion that being physically active means lifting weights in a gym. You can be active in many ways, including dancing, walking, or gardening. Make your own list of options that appeal to you.
Explore options you never thought about, and stick with what you enjoy. Try making your old favorite recipes in healthier new ways. For example, you can trim fat from meats and reduce the amount of butter, sugar, and salt you cook with.
Use low-fat cheeses or milk rather than whole-milk foods. Regular exercise can also lower your blood pressure and triglyceride levels. Help your body manage blood sugar and insulin levels. Exercise can lower your blood sugar level and help your insulin work better.
This can cut down your risk for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. And if you already have one of those diseases, exercise can help you to manage it. Help you quit smoking. Exercise may make it easier to quit smoking by reducing your cravings and withdrawal symptoms. It can also help limit the weight you might gain when you stop smoking. Improve your mental health and mood. During exercise, your body releases chemicals that can improve your mood and make you feel more relaxed.
This can help you deal with stress and reduce your risk of depression. Help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. Exercise stimulates your body to release proteins and other chemicals that improve the structure and function of your brain. Strengthen your bones and muscles. Regular exercise can help kids and teens build strong bones.
Later in life, it can also slow the loss of bone density that comes with age. Doing muscle-strengthening activities can help you increase or maintain your muscle mass and strength. Reduce your risk of some cancers, including colon , breast , uterine , and lung cancer. Reduce your risk of falls. For older adults, research shows that doing balance and muscle-strengthening activities in addition to moderate-intensity aerobic activity can help reduce your risk of falling.
Improve your sleep. Exercise can help you to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Improve your sexual health. Regular exercise may lower the risk of erectile dysfunction ED in men.
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