Why should I add a stress-management practice?

Find out how reducing stress can have a major positive impact on your overall health and wellness.

Photo Credit: Menhak via Flickr Creative Commons

Although eating healthy and exercising regularly are important to your health and well-being, stress management, as well as love and support, also play a powerful role.

Did you know that chronic stress causes your arteries to become more clogged and you to gain more weight independent of your diet? It increases your risk for sudden cardiac death, decreases your immune function, and even accelerates the aging process.

The good news is that stress isn’t just a function of what happens to you; even more important is how you react to what happens to you. When you practice simple stress management techniques on a regular basis—even just a few minutes a day—you can be in the same job, the same school, the same family, but you react in healthier ways.

Some people say, “I used to have a short fuse and I’d explode easily. Now, my fuse is longer, so things don’t bother me so much. I can accomplish even more without getting stressed in the process.”

You’ll find powerful stress management techniques, including guided meditation videos, on the Ornish Spectrum website—and they are all free.

Looking for other ways to live a healthier, happier life? Reverse heart disease and diabetes, lose weight and reduce your cancer risk with these tips from Dean Ornish.

This content was originally published on Ornish Living.

More On

5 ways to save yourself from toxic productivity

video

5 ways to save yourself from toxic productivity
Toxic productivity is an unhealthy desire to be constantly productive, even if it is detrimental to other parts of your life.
Stressed or depressed? Learn the difference

article

Stressed or depressed? Learn the difference
Stress and depression are closely related, but there are important distinctions.
6 ways your job may be hurting your health

slideshow

6 ways your job may be hurting your health
Find out how working too much can make you sick—and what you can do about it.
Understanding grief and loss

video

Understanding grief and loss
It is important to trust in the process of grieving, and know you can still live life after a valuable loss.
How to calm your brain and get a great night's sleep before an important event

video

How to calm your brain and get a great night's sleep before an important event
Discover effective strategies for calming your brain and achieving a restful night's sleep