Being a Healthier "You"

“Sleep, in addition to nutrition, physical fitness and emotional well-being, is one of the most basic necessary conditions,” says Tracy Kuo, Ph.D., a psychologist and clinical researcher at Stanford University’s Sleep Disorders Clinic. “Quality sleep is a barometer of well-being and health. When a person does not get enough sleep, or if sleep is disruptive or disordered, mood, cognition and physical functioning start to disintegrate.”

Though the amount of sleep you need is unique to your body, experts generally recommend an average of seven to eight hours of sleep every night.

Changing your diet and exercising are great first steps in alleviating stress symptoms. If those changes don’t help, try something else. Use this time to experiment with stress-reducing techniques like controlled breathing, meditation, listening to music, soaking in a bathtub or doing yoga. Now what were those three things we asked you to remember at the beginning? If you need to go back and look, it’s OK—but go on and get to doing them today! Your body and mind will thank you.

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