(This list has been reduced from 20 ways, in order to model how we need to cut back on things we do!)

You've all read these lists before, and so have I. Do they actually work? Some do, some don’t. But they can help to remind us of some healthy habits to consider and practice in our daily lives.

I encourage you to try out some of these hints and ideas to reduce your stress levels. Some of them might actually work! And add some of your own successful habits to the list. Do not be like the volunteer leader who got all upset because she paid $400 for a health club membership and didn’t lose any weight…then she discovered that she actually had to show up!

One more emphasis: The bottom line of being truly well is that we have already been made well...in Christ Jesus! His death and resurrection gives us wellness in him as a gift!  And he empowers us to share our wellness with those around us, in a very unhealthy world!

• Smile and laugh a lot!  Let people continue to wonder why you're so happy! And then tell them. Researchers at Harvard studied 1,300 people for 10 years.¹ They found that those who had the most positive attitudes at the beginning were half as likely to have experienced heart problems as those with more negative attitudes. And they sure were more fun to be around!
• Rise and dine.  In a study of 3,900 people, researchers found that those who ate breakfast every day were 44% less likely to be overweight.² And energy levels tended to stay longer with these folks throughout the day. Maybe Mother was right after all!
• Forgive people...starting with yourself!  Let those guilt feelings go...you are forgiven in Christ!  Pray for forgiveness from someone whom you have wronged. And then go to that person and ask for forgiveness. Life is "for giving"!
• Stay away from smoke. Researchers in Greece found that individuals who were exposed to cigarette smoke for just 30 minutes three times a week had a 26% greater risk of developing heart disease than people who rarely encountered secondhand smoke.³  Thousands of people die each day from smoking-related illnesses!
• Deal with depression.  People suffering from depression are more than twice as likely to develop heart disease as those who are not depressed. Duke University researchers found that after just 3 months of treatment, antidepressants and exercise were equally effective at relieving almost all symptoms of depression.⁴ So why not try to "bike away those blues”?
• Meditate 20 minutes a day. A no-brainer perhaps, but do find time to reflect and meditate each day with the Lord. No need to always talk to him. Why not just listen to him once in a while? In addition to keeping you close to the source of wellness, daily meditations tend to reduce anxiety and depression in more than 25% of people tested.
• Walk the talk—l iterally! The best exercise is to walk with the Lord. People who walked an extra 4,000-5,000 steps each day lowered their blood pressure by an average of 11 points.⁵ Get a pedometer to help you count your daily steps.
• Join a "holy huddle." Lonely people have a harder time dealing with stress and are at a greater risk of heart disease than people with a strong support group.⁶ People who need people are the luckiest people in the world. (Someone should write a song about that sometime!) And the best support group is a “holy huddle” group that supports and prays and lives in the name of the healing Christ! It's called the church!
• Choose dark chocolate! (I like this one!) Cocoa contains flavonoids that thin the blood and keep it from clotting. And at least a third of the fat in chocolate is oleic acid.⁷ Dove dark chocolate bars retain as many flavonoids as possible. Wow, go for it!
• Wash your hands. German researchers followed 570 people for an average of three years and found that those with the most antibodies (from fighting off infections) in their systems also had the most significant clogging.⁸ Use liquid soap, where possible. Wash with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds. And do it often.
• Read, read, read! Swiss researchers found that people who read at least 30 minutes a day lowered their heart rates significantly, reducing their stress levels.⁹ Read aloud to the kids or your spouse. Broaden your interests. And be healthier in the process!
• Play hard! Any regular vigorous physical activity reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease, even if for only 10-15 minutes a day. Keep that heart beating!
• Pray hard. Play...and pray— a healthy combination!  Keep connected to the Lord. He's already there! Prayer is a great gift to all of God's people. It keeps us focused and grounded, and healthy, too!
• Eat oatmeal cookies! (Another one I like!) In a Connecticut study, people with high cholesterol who ate oat-bran cookies daily for 8 weeks dropped their levels of LDL cholesterol by more than 20%.¹⁰ And they're yummy too!
• Tune in ...to tune out!  Blood pressure surges in the morning.  But listening to music instead of the news or a raving talk show host can help control it. Keep CDs in your car, in the kitchen, and in your office. Blessed be the sound of music!
• Affirm others. Catch people doing things well and then tell them. We’re reminded in the Scriptures to "encourage one another" regularly. It's healthy to help others feel good about themselves and the gifts they are sharing with others.
• Ask for help.  When people ask us for help, we feel good about it, don't we? We feel that we have something to share, some gifts to give to those around us. And when we ask for help from others, it works for them also. A healthy person, a healthy couple, and a healthy staff are people who ask for help!
• Remember the Sabbath!  The Sabbath isn’t just one day a week. It’s a healthy life style that helps to balance our relationships with our staffs, our families, our communities, and ourselves. A Sabbath style of life acknowledges that the Lord is Lord of all of life, and that all of life is holy, in Christ Jesus!

Go for it!  Enjoy life in the Lord!  Continue to volunteer your great gifts in service to his church and his people! Work at sharing healthy life-styles, beginning with yourself! And have a “healthy and hope-filled day in the Lord!”

Dr. Richard Bimler is the president of Wheat Ridge Ministries (www.wheatridge.org), an organization dedicated to seeding new ministries of health and hope in the name of the healing Christ.

Copyright © 2004, Group Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

¹ Glezos, Sophia. “Smile and Laugh a Lot”, Social Relationships, Connectedness, and Health: The Bond That Heals, 1997.

² Santana, A.E. “Rise and Dine…”, Eat Breakfast for Energy, 1997.

³ “Stay Away From Smoke”, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Setting the Record Straight. Second Hand Smoke is a Preventable Health Risk, 1994.

⁴ “Deal With Depression…”, National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, What is Major Depression?, 2001.

⁵ “Obesity Epidemic Increases Dramatically in the U.S.”, U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1999.

⁶ Ornish, Dr. Dean. “Health of the Nation,” 2001: Gallup Institute.

⁷ “Candy Vending Facts and Opportunity.” 2001: Ideabeat.

⁸ “Wash Your Hands…”, American Society for Microbiology, America’s Dirty Little Secret—Our Hands, 2000.

⁹ “Read, Read, Read…”, U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Guide to Clinical Preventive Services, Second Edition, 1996.

¹⁰ “Eat Oatmeal Cookies,” U.S. Good & Drug Administration, Nutrition & Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans.