Make Your Stress Relief a Priority

No matter how healthy you eat or how much exercise you do, your health will be diminished if you're miserable, overworked and stressed out. To feel truly great you have to make sure to eliminate or at least lower amount of unhealthy stress in your life.

Understand what you can and can't control. There will be times when you won't be in control of everything. If you can't control certain stress environments find places where you can be in control - leisure activities, days off, gym.

Take a break. Chronic stress lowers good cholesterol, increases bad cholesterol and suppresses your immune system. Taking a break interrupts stress. Make time for exercise and hobbies or your health and ability to lead a healthy lifestyle will suffer.

Choose a daily relaxation technique. Meditation cuts off obsessive thoughts and provides deep relaxation. Progressive muscle relaxation also helps. Tense muscles for five seconds, then release. Go through all the major muscle groups twice and do this 2-3 times a day.