My biggest health advice for 2013

January is National Staying Healthy Month, and as a wife, mom, business owner, and full-time corporate professional, I am very proud that I have been able to maintain my physical fitness and health. However, completing everything that needs to be done each day is definitely not a stress-free process, and I think it’s common for many working parents in NYC to sometimes feel as though they are drowning in their to-do lists.

Stress can be a major contributing factor to a variety of health problems. You may eat nutritiously, work out regularly, and be doing everything “right” from a wellness perspective, but allowing stress to take over the mind and body can, without a doubt, undermine all your good health choices. According to the StressFree Network, stress is in fact, an epidemic, and over two-thirds of doctor visits are because of stress-related illnesses! Wow. Stress contributes to all six leading causes of death in the US, which include coronary artery disease, cancers, respiratory disorders, accidental injuries, cirrhosis of the liver and suicide. The moral to the story? Stress is serious business, and to be truly healthy, we must all learn to live with the stress of daily life without allowing it to take over.

My new year’s resolution this year is to take control of the stress in my life before it takes control of me, and I am summing it up like this: Identify, Eliminate, and Handle Healthily.

1) Identify: Identify the top three things in your life that stress you out.

2) Eliminate: Figure out how to eliminate at least one. This may be tricky. After all, something isn’t a top stressor because it is easy to eliminate, but with some thought, prioritization, and improvisation, you can eliminate it. I thought there was no way around some of the stresses in my life, but I got creative and figured out a way to do it. I’m already feeling calmer and happier this year!

3) Handle Healthily: Learn to deal with the other 2 top stresses in a way that doesn’t leave your blood pressure high and your mind full of anxiety. You may not be able to eliminate the cause of the stress, but you can figure out a way to lighten the load. It may require a little extra money, time, and coordination on the front end, but trust me, the health rewards will be well worth it.

In conclusion, stress has the power to majorly affect you, mind and body, but identifying, eliminating, and healthily handling it is the best gift you can give yourself in the new year. I challenge you to join me! Let me know how it goes. I always love to be inspired by people improving their health and their lives!

Happy MLK Weekend!

Sha

DASHA® wellness & spa is a luxury lifestyle brand and New York City-based wellness center created to offer a truly holistic approach to wellness. To learn more, visit dashawellness.com.