Essentials for Health

Practicing deep relaxation and holding the body in a relaxed manner will make a huge contribution to your health, but it won't do the job of keeping you healthy all by itself. Several other things are essential to your health, too. The brain and nervous system, as well as all the other systems of the body, need sleep and relaxation, many kinds of exercise, water, and correct nutrition.

Most people find that they can break the rules of healthy living and get away with it when they are young. But the time comes, perhaps around age fifty, when they find that they start having to follow the rules. These “rules” include getting sufficient sleep and relaxation, getting enough of the five different kinds of exercise, drinking enough water, and eating and drinking correctly. Unfortunately, as we get older, our bodies become increasingly less sturdy and less resilient, and the stressors we have to cope with take more of a toll.

A great deal of research has been done about each of these health “rules.” In this section, I will report on the current recommendations made by professionals. If you choose to follow them, it will make an important contribution to your goal of overcoming your stress disorders.