Make stress management a priority.

Like, now.

Set an alarm to meditate for 10-20 minutes a day. And schedule a facial to zone out for an hour. And keep a gratitude journal. And do yoga. And turn your phone off on the weekend. That’s “and,” not “or,” by the way. Your skin, body, and mind will reward you for it.

An increasing number of studies is showing that stress has profound, widespread, and lasting effects on many aspects of our health, from depression, to obesity, how our brain becomes “trained” to function, and even cancer. Stress is so linked to skin that in many practices, stress management and therapy are standard in the management of psoriasis. Stress is inflammatory and tends to trigger acne, premature aging, psoriasis flare-ups, and eczema.

For more on how stress can affect your skin, check out these articles:

• My Happiness Inventory of 5
• Get Happy, Best Makeover Ever!
• 4 Reasons Spa Hour Is Good For Your Health
• This Is The Year You Achieve Your New Skin Goals
• How To Look Good? BE Good

Tip: a remarkably efficient way to hit anti-stress and skin goals in one hour? Book a facial!