You’ve heard it before – “Never go to bed angry.”

There’s actually some scientific truth to that old adage – and it’s not just conflict issues you may have with a significant other or member of your household.

A new study shows if you can resolve issues sooner, or at least start to talk about them before you go to sleep, you’ll end up with a much less stressful day when you wake up. Stressors big and small can affect our health because stress adds up and carries over.

Some stressful situations are unavoidable, but the ability which we tie them off, end them, and resolve them will contribute to your well-being – which is key to both avoiding mental health issues, like depression or anxiety, as well as physical ones like heart disease or gastrointestinal issues.

Researchers found that age plays a role in how we deal with stress. Adults over 68 were 40% more likely than those under 45 to resolve conflicts successfully. Whether they have more practice at it or less patience for it researchers didn’t know.

So if you’ve got something weighing on your mind and have been avoiding dealing with it, get it off your chest and you’ll feel better!

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Did you get everything done at work today you needed to? Are there any timewasters that you’re guilty of?

Here are the most common work timewasters that are easily avoided:

First – don’t respond to e-mails right away. Each e-mail message is an interruption on whatever you’re working on – you must stop, respond, then start up again. Set aside blocks of time to answer and answer them all at once.

If you’ve been working from home more, getting distracted by other tasks is a big timewaster! Doing chores around the house or being tempted to turn on the TV – the best way to battle that is to set up a to-do list in the morning and choose the top three things you need to accomplish before you move on.

Finally – social media! Most people say the biggest distraction is the phone – so turn off those notifications, or better yet, put the phone in a different room so you’re not tempted to check it all the time.

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We should be suspicious of TikTok remedies – but when an expert backs it up, you start to take notice.

Someone online claims you can cure migraine headaches by soaking your feet in hot water.

They say the hotter, the better – and a doctor in Maryland who specializes in acute and chronic pain agrees. The hot water dilates the blood vessels in your feet, pulling blood toward your legs and away from your head, which means after a few minutes, the pressure should alleviate and the pain dissipates.

Commenters say they’ve tried it and it works. But even if it’s not true – if you don’t make it too hot to burn yourself, there aren’t any side effects – except maybe making the soles of your feet feel better!

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There is a lot of good to come from social media, but with the good comes the bad and you might find you need to take a break from it. Experts say we all should consider it.

Maintaining friendships and keeping informed are great benefits, but too much time online has been found to lead to depression, anxiety and stress and unhealthy relationships with social media platforms can form.

So how do you know if it’s the right time to take a break from social media?

• If you’re compulsively checking your phone, that’s probably sign #1. If it affects your job or family time, that’s a big problem.

• If you fall asleep feeling “off” or if you find you’re waking up worried about something you saw the night before, you might need to set up some boundaries.

• When real-life interactions suffering at the expense of getting wrapped up in online arguments, reassessing priorities may be in order.

• And if you’ve started viewing yourself negatively and comparing yourself to others online, a break may be in order.

The benefits or social media breaks can lead to new opportunities – picking up hobbies you’ve been interested in or practicing self-care, and less screen blue light can improve sleep and productivity.

Limiting your time online, getting outside, and saying no to notifications are an easy way to start rather than completely cutting yourself off. A good way to view things – think of social media like food consumption, and limit your digital calories.

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Most of us will have one back problem or another at least once in our lifetimes. Most back injuries come from strain or damage over time, but there are some tips you can follow now to avoid problems later.

Keep active and maintain a healthy diet and weight – carrying too much on your body will weigh down on your spine.

Maintain good posture – poor posture is caused by everything from stress, obesity, pregnancy, even shoes that are too tight! When sitting at your desk, keep your feet on the floor and avoid crossing your legs, and when laying down at night, make sure you lay on your back or side, not your stomach. And try to sleep on a mattress that’s not too soft to minimize any curve in your spine.

When lifting objects, life with your knees, and keep the object close to your body, and don’t twist when lifting.

And if you do have back pain, make sure you consult your doctor. But taking these steps can likely keep your back healthy for years to come!

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