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SALT LAKE CITY — In the fight to maintain our health, including a healthy weight, our busy world is filled with factors that can spell defeat.
Often the answer is not to battle harder, but to "pick our battles" as best we can.
If you often think that keeping a healthy balance in your life is difficult, Dr. Christine Nefcy of McKay Dee Hospital says you're not alone.
"I think probably everybody could use a perspective now and then about maintaining a good life/ work balance," Nefcy said.
Dr. Norman Anderson, CEO of the American Psychological Association, says that it's very important to reduce stress.
"Stress is a risk factor for not just disturbances in emotional wellbeing, it's a risk factor for chronic illnesses such as heart disease, depression, even obesity," Anderson said.
Nefcy says stress can negatively impact your eating habits that can affect other areas of your life.
"When you don't eat as well you tend to gain weight," she said. "When you gain weight, it's harder to exercise. You don't feel very good. It's sort of one of those self-perpetuating things."
So if the stress of a busy life is common, but can it be controlled?
When you don't eat as well you tend to gain weight. When you gain weight, it's harder to exercise. You don't feel very good. It's sort of one of those self-perpetuating things.
–Dr. Christine Nefcy
"It comes down really to priorities and perspective," Nefcy said.
One strategy Nefcy recommends is to ask yourself one simple question: will this matter in five to ten years?
"Sometimes (it) is helpful when we have those things that happen that really stress us out," she said. "I think the important thing is taking those as a one-time incident and then when that's over , then take some time for yourself."
She says you should incorporate something healthy into your family time, such as hiking or running. Nefcy also strongly encourages a good night's sleep.
"We know that people who don't sleep well at night have a harder time dealing with stress," she said. "They're more likely to gain weight. Things like sleep, eating healthy, getting exercise and maintaining that perspective of what's important and then what's maybe not so important are really helpful."
