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Feeling good
100 ways to feel better every day

The information in this booklet is for educational purposes only. It should not be interpreted as medical advice and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your health care provider if you have questions or concerns about your health. Always be sure to talk with your health care providerbefore you start an exercise program.

© 2004 Ceridian Corporation. All rights reserved.

Feeling good
100 ways to feel better every day

How good do you feel?
Let’s begin by answering the following ten questions.
YES YES NO NO

Do you have regular checkups? Do you exercise for at least 30 minutes 4 or more days a week? Do you eat balanced meals? Do you get close to 8 hours of sleep mostnights? Do you follow your doctor’s advice to quit smoking, lose weight, or limit your consumption of alcohol?

YES YES YES

NO NO NO

YES

NO

Are you often irritable or short-tempered with people you care about? Do you have frequent headaches or stomachaches? Do you feel sad or down very often or cry for no reason? Do you often feel too busy and “stressed”? Do you have social,medical, or financial worries caused by drugs, alcohol, gambling, or shopping?

YES YES

NO NO

YES YES

NO NO

The fact is, we could all take better care of ourselves—physically and emotionally. For some of us, that may mean getting more exercise, losing weight, or eating a healthier diet. For others, it may mean learning how to make time for the people we care about or learning how tomanage stress so we have the energy to meet the challenges that come our way each day. What are some of the things you can do every day to feel better in your life? Look back to the questions on the quiz for some answers. If you answered “No” to any of the first five questions, these are the areas to work on with your physical health. If you answered “Yes” to any of the last five questions, these arethe areas to pay attention to with your emotional health. Feeling good involves taking care of both your physical health and your emotional needs. You’ll find hundreds of ideas in this booklet on how to do that.

As you read through the suggestions that follow, think about how you might pay better attention to your overall well-being. Is it by eating a healthier diet? Making more time for fun inyour life? Getting more exercise? Renewing your spiritual self? Next, jot down in the back of the booklet the things you can do to help your body and mind feel better, using the suggestions included here as well as your own ideas. “Whether we live to a vigorous old age lies not so much in our stars or our genes as in ourselves,” writes Harvard physician George Vaillant in his helpful book AgingWell. Take care of yourself. Maintain close friendships. And choose to feel good even when things aren’t wonderful. Experts agree that these are the secrets to successful aging—and to feeling good throughout your life.

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Start your morning off right.
Breakfast boosts memory, improves your mood, and can help control your weight. A number of research studies have found that students who eatbreakfast score higher on tests. The same is true for adults. People who eat breakfast also are generally thinner. Start the day with a healthy breakfast like high-fiber cereal or oatmeal and a glass of juice. If you’re not much of a breakfast eater, try having a “smoothie” for your morning meal—blend a banana, low-fat yogurt, and orange juice together.
New research shows eating a nutritiousbreakfast every morning may improve memory in healthy elderly people. –AlzheimerSupport.com

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Cut back on caffeine.
Coffee tastes great and it’s safe to drink in moderation. But too much caffeine can make you irritable. It can also upset your stomach and disturb your sleep. Medical experts recommend that you consume no more than 300 milligrams of caffeine a day. That’s the equivalent of...