Here’s Your Final Tip #6: Stress Less, Sleep More

Let’s address the first issue: Stress. People who don’t manage stress in their lives well can get physically ill from it. Various studies have shown that chronic, unmanaged stress runs down the immune system by reducing the number of your body’s fighting cells. Stress can manifest itself physically in the form of a common cold, acne, stomach ulcers, high blood pressure, etc. So, build your immune system by finding healthy ways to manage your stress. Check out this great list of 10 Healthy Ways to Manage Stress from Reader’s Digest: www.rd.com/living-healthy/10-ways-to-manage-stress/article12557.html

Other sources about stress related to illness:
www.stressaffect.com/stress-illness.html
www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-management-effects-of-stress

How does sleeping more affect your body? A recent study shows that people who get less than 7 hours of sleep a night are three times more likely to catch a common cold than people who sleep at least 8 hours a night. Being sleep deprived causes your body’s fighting cells to drop in numbers, allowing it to be more susceptible to infection. This same study shows that its not just about the quantity of sleep but the quality as well. So, turn off the TV early tonight and catch some extra zzzzs!

Sources about sleep related to illness:
www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=can-a-good-nights-sleep-prevent-a-c-2009-01-12
www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20090112/good-nights-sleep-puts-colds-to-bed