HealthyLife Articles

Category: Self-Care Corner

Get Better Sleep Starting Tonight

SELF-CARE CORNER

After a long and exhausting day, you probably just want to get some much needed rest. And, there may be some simple things you can begin doing today to ensure you wake up feeling refreshed and energized. Try these tips to start getting the sleep your body needs:

* Don’t stay up too late. Waiting until you are overtired can make it harder to wind down. Try to go to bed when you first feel drowsy, not when you’re exhausted. Turn down those late-night activities with friends and “turn in” a little earlier.

* Skip your nap. If you are having trouble with nighttime sleep, you may be tempted to make up for it by napping during the day. Daytime naps, even short ones, can interfere with your quality of sleep at night. Try eliminating them for a few days to see if your nighttime sleep improves.

* Turn off your phone, computer and other devices. The light emitted from computer and smartphone screens can keep you awake. It can trick the body into thinking it is daytime, rather than bedtime. Allow at least one hour before bedtime as “screen-free” time. Take a bath, a relaxing walk or read a book instead.

* Don’t drink alcohol. Although a drink seems relaxing and may make you feel sleepy, it can actually make your sleep worse by waking up through the night.

* Eat dinner earlier. Eat dinner at least three hours before bed. If you’re hungry, have a light snack, such as small portion of yogurt or oatmeal, about 45 minutes before bedtime.

* Turn down the temperature. Most people sleep better if their room is between 60-67 degrees. A hot room makes it difficult for the body’s temperature to drop, which tells it to go to sleep.

If these tips don’t help, talk to your doctor about your sleep problems. Sleep is an important part of overall good health and your doctor can help you find solutions to get the rest you need.

Sources: American Academy of Sleep Medicine, National Sleep Foundation

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Lifestyle Changes Can Be As Effective As Medication, Counseling

SELF-CARE CORNER

Lifestyle changes-such as getting more exercise, time in nature, or helping others-can be as effective as drugs or counseling to treat an array of mental illnesses, according to the American Psychological Association.

Dr. Roger Walsh of the University of California, Irvine’s College of Medicine said helpful “therapeutic lifestyle changes,” or TLCs, include exercise, nutrition and diet, relationships, recreation, relaxation and stress management, religious or spiritual involvement, spending time in nature, and service to others.

Many often unrecognized TLC benefits include these:

* Exercise not only helps people feel better by reducing anxiety and depression. It can help children do better in school, improve mental performance in adults, reduce age-related memory loss in the elderly, and increase new neuron formation in the brain.

* Diets rich in vegetables, fruits, and fish may help school performance in children, maintain mental functions in adults, as well as reduce symptoms in certain mental disorders.

* Spending time in nature can promote brain health and overall well-being.

* Good relationships can reduce health risks ranging from the common cold to strokes, as well as multiple mental illnesses and can enhance well-being.

* Recreation and fun can reduce defensiveness and foster social skills.

* Relaxation and stress management can treat a variety of anxiety, insomnia, and panic disorders.

* Meditation can improve empathy, sensitivity and emotional stability, reduce stress and burnout, and enhance brain health and even brain size.

* Religious and spiritual involvement that focuses on love and forgiveness can reduce anxiety, depression, and substance abuse, and foster well-being.

* Contribution and service such as doing volunteer work can enhance joy and generosity by producing a “helper’s high.” Such activity also benefits both physical and mental health, and perhaps even extends lifespan.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
Pump Up Your Heart In 5 Easy Steps

SELF-CARE CORNER

Did you know that a good night’s sleep can help prevent heart disease? That’s just one way to lower your risk. Dr. Holly Andersen, director of education and outreach at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, offers some easy steps to improve heart health and overall well-being:

Step 1: Know your numbers.

Your blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels are the most important numbers you will need to know before you take the path to good heart health. A normal blood pressure level is 140/85 or lower, total cholesterol levels should be less than 200, and triglycerides less than 150.

Step 2: Start walking.

Exercise really is the fountain of youth. A simple 20- to 30-minute walk a few days a week can actually cut your risk of premature death by more than half. Physical activity also improves sleep, reduces stress, elevates mood, reduces blood pressure, improves cholesterol, improves brain health, and prevents memory loss.

Step 3: Laugh out loud.

Laughter is good medicine. Just 15 minutes of laughter is about equal to 30 minutes of aerobic exercise with respect to our heart health. So choose funny movies on Netflix. Laughter has also been linked to the healthy function of blood vessels, an increase in the brain hormones that improve mood, and reduction of pain and anxiety.

Step 4: Focus on your waistline, not your weight.

Your waistline is a better measurement of your overall health than your weight because the amount of fat around your waistline is directly linked to high blood pressure and high cholesterol and can place you at increased risk for diabetes. Anything you can do to make your waistline smaller is definitely a step in the right direction. Liposuction doesn’t count!

Step 5: Get a good night’s sleep.

Sleep is one of the most undervalued elements of our daily routines, but it is absolutely vital to good health. Lack of sleep increases your blood pressure, induces stress, increases your appetite and slows down your metabolism, dampens your mood and decreases your brain power.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
The Aches Of Arthritis

SELF-CARE CORNER

Feeling pain and stiffness in your joints? Wonder if it’s because you’re aging? Many people experience joint pain when they’re 45 to 50. It’s generally from arthritis-one of the most common diseases. “Arthr” means joint, and “itis” means inflammation.

There are more than 100 types of arthritis. The most common is osteoarthritis (wear and tear on joints in the fingers, knees, and hips). And, yes, osteoarthritis can develop years after an injury to a joint.

Rheumatoid arthritis can affect your whole body. It arises when your immune system mistakenly attacks your own joints bringing pain, swelling, stiffness, and loss of function.

Arthritis can damage not only your joints but also internal organs and skin. Talk with your doctor about what you can do. Here are some ideas from the NIH News in Health:

* Try to stay at a healthy weight that’s normal for your height.

* Exercise. A trained health professional can show you how to move more easily if you have arthritis. Going for a walk every day will help, too.

* If you had a severe joint injury to a joint, protect it from getting injuried again.

* Don’t smoke. People who smoke are more likely to get rheumatoid arthritis, and their symptoms tend to be worse.

* Take your medicines when and how you are supposed to. They can help reduce pain and stiffness.

* Try taking a warm shower in the morning.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026
When Petting Pets Causes Disease

SELF-CARE CORNER

Salmonella, E. coli, and roundworms are among the nearly 20 different diseases that people most commonly get from their pets, said Jason Stull, assistant professor of veterinary preventive medicine at Ohio State. Infants, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with limited immune function are most at risk for animal-borne, or zoonotic, diseases.

Since different species of pets-dogs, cats, rodents, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians-carry different types of diseases and at different stages of life, Stull and his colleagues suggest that families talk to both their doctor and veterinarian about what pet is the safest choice for their family.

Here are some safe tips for pet ownership:

* Wear protective gloves to clean aquariums and cages and to remove feces.

* Wash hands after pet contact.

* Don’t let your pets lick your face.

* Cover playground sandboxes when not in use (cats love them).

* Avoid contact with higher risk animals such as reptiles, amphibians, and exotic animals.

* Regularly clean and disinfect animal cages, feeding areas, and bedding.

* Put litter boxes away from areas where food is eaten and prepared.

* Schedule regular veterinary visits.

© American Institute for Preventive Medicine

January 23, 2026