Put your lifestyle in perspective
The way you live your life can affect the level of stress that you carry. It’s much easier said than done, but finding a balance to your work, personal, and family life can be the key that unlocks the door to peace for many. Look at how you spend your time daily and find what really matters and what doesn’t. Also be sure that you get enough sleep, because that’s when your body recharges and recovers from daily stress.

Change the way you think
When you’re under stress, it’s easy to feel bad about yourself. This can cause you to lose sight of what’s important on a day to day basis. You may focus on only the negative aspects of a given situation and not even consider what positives may come from it. This can be the beginning of a vicious circle, as negative thinking like this can cause more stress. Think about all aspects of a situation when dealing with a stressful problem. Look at it from multiple angles and identify things that you can change, and find ways to work around or deal with what you cannot.

Relax your mind
Spend some free time with a hobby that you enjoy, or with a pet. Share your thoughts and feelings with others, because if you let it build up it can become toxic. Many people find relief from stress in meditation. Focusing on the here and now of the specific moment can allow things that were previously stressing you to melt away. Some people go a step beyond simple meditation and undergo hypnosis, which you can even do yourself with a little research.

Relax your body
Regular exercise, even in small amounts can relieve muscle tension from stress. It helps oxygenate your muscles and improve circulation. Deep breathing exercises can help set you on the right course as well, and are recommended with such other body relaxation techniques as tai chi and yoga. Try combining some of these techniques in the spare time you create from evaluating your lifestyle.

Nail biting
Nearly 30% of young adults bite their nails, and there are reasons beyond ugly hands for breaking this bad habit. Biting your nails can interfere with normal nail growth and damage your tooth enamel. Not only that, but there are plenty of harmful bacteria that live underneath your fingernails, which you certainly don’t want to bite into. Keep your nails trimmed short and there will be less to chew on, and less space for bacteria to live as well. If that doesn’t work, the same products used to stop thumb sucking in children will make your finger nails taste just as terrible.

Losing sleep
Your body depends on sleep not only to recharge energy, but to recharge your immune system. Hormone levels, appetite, and mood are also affected by the amount of sleep you get. Needless to say, there are serious consequences to sleep deprivation, not to mention the effects it can have on your appearance (wrinkles, dark circles, etc.). Treat your sleep like a serious diet to make sure you get enough of it. Keep track of things like caffeine intake and time spent in front of a TV or computer monitor to find out what might be causing your lack of sleep.

Fear of Flossing
Most dentists will tell you that a majority of their patients don’t floss regularly. They’ll also tell you that gum disease is the most preventable disease there is when you practice good oral hygiene, including flossing. Know what else they’ll tell you? That more and more research points to the link between gum disease and more serious concerns like heart disease, stroke, and cancer. See where this is going?

Midnight snacking
The idea of late night eating isn’t so bad itself, it’s the fact that you’re probably not eating the healthiest snacks by the light of the fridge. Combine this with the fact that stomach acids have much easier access to the esophagus when you lay down while you’re still digesting that slice of cold pizza. Try to go to bed earlier and limit the time between dinner and when you might snack, or snack earlier and healthier.

A vision care diet
The most common eye diseases share a common link- oxidation, chemical process in which free radicals damage cells in the body, in this case, the eyes. A natural by-product of metabolism, these oxygen-based molecules are also produced in large amounts by smoking, air pollution, and excessive sunlight. A few of the best antioxidants to help protect your sight are vitamin A, zinc, lutein, and fish oil (which are high in omega 3 fatty acids).

Water and exercise
Drinking a lot of fluids improves the transport of antioxidant nutrients to the eyes, so drink at least 8 glasses of water a day to lubricate them. Regular exercise is also good for eye health, especially in helping to prevent glaucoma. It boosts circulation throughout the entire body and can reduce pressure in the eye as well.

Sunglasses
Most people wear sunglasses for comfort, but there’s a more important reason: the sun’s ultraviolet radiation greatly increases oxidation in eye tissues. Excessive sun exposure is a leading cause of cataracts and macular degeneration. Make sure that your sunglasses block 100% of both UVA and UVB radiation, and styles that wrap around the face are best as they block most of the sunlight that would otherwise hit your eyes.

Relax
Our eyes get virtually no rest other than when we’re sleeping. An easy way to soothe and relax your eyes is to rub your palms together until they’re warm, and place them gently over your closed eyes with the fingers of each hand overlapping and resting in the center of the forehead for a few minutes. Do this at least once a day.