I recently read an article in Forbes referencing 10 tips for fighting stress with healthy habits from the American Heart Association (AHA). I really like the list that the AHA put together on fighting stress. It includes some expected tips like daily exercise and getting enough sleep. Then it has some unexpected tips, like “accept the things you cannot change” and “practice giving back.”

One of the points Julie Wilcox emphasized was how “familial calm and support is critical for our psychological, physical and emotional fitness.” I really liked the term “familial calm.” I don’t think I had ever heard those two words used together. Plus, it just plain sounds lovely, doesn’t it?

We all have our “ups and downs” in our relationships with our family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc., and relational harmony is a critical element to keeping stress at bay. A daily connection to someone you care about helps to fight stress as it provides an opportunity for you “to share your feelings, hopes and joys.” Hopefully it’ll also give you a little laugh, which is another tip in the AHA’s top ten list.

I’m a big believer in doing what I can now to prevent and avoid issues later. This list is all about practicing stress prevention, which in turn, will reduce your risk of health conditions brought on by stress. Give it a read, print it out and adopt these healthy practices  – your mind, body and spirit will thank you later. Fuel up.