Did you know that aging is believed to be 30% genetic and 70% lifestyle?

Did you also know that a healthy lifestyle can help you manage stress?

Stress contributes to adverse health effects in 43% of adults. Seventy-five to 90% of visits to the physician’s office are for stress related complaints.

You have some control over your physical health and well-being by living a healthy lifestyle. When you maintain good mental and physical health, you are in better position to deal with stressors when they arise. Managing stress effectively also helps boost immune functioning so you will get sick less often. Taking care of yourself is also important if you are taking care of others.

Have you considered taking some time to look at your lifestyle? If so, determine what changes you need to make in order to promote a healthy body and mind. Some examples of making a lifestyle healthier are: getting daily physical activity, eating a healthy diet, not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, getting enough sleep, practicing relaxation techniques. Many people want to make lifestyle changes but believe it would be too difficult. Starting out by making one small goal that you believe is doable could lead to increasing that behavior (e.g., goal to walk 5 minutes daily could eventually increase to 20 minutes.)

Don’t wait for motivation because the motivation might not come. Doing a behavior (when you don’t feel like it) can bring on the motivation. You just need to start. Plus, practicing one healthy behavior often leads to the adoption of another healthy behavior.