When your physical health improves, you'll experience greater mental and emotional well-being. Research has proven that exercise not only strengthens our heart and lungs, but also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals that energize us and affect our emotional and mental health in good ways.

Get enough rest. Most people need seven to eight hours of sleep each night to function optimally.

Exercise to relieve stress and lift your mood. Exercise is a powerful antidote to stress, anxiety and depression. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator or going on a short walk daily can help. Try for 30 minutes or more of exercise per day. The results will be noticeable!

Learn about good nutrition and practice it. The more you learn about what you eat and how it affects your energy and mood, the better you'll feel.

Get a dose of sunlight every day. God created sunlight in part to lift our mood. Try to get at least 10 minutes of sunshine per day. This can be done while exercising, gardening or in a social setting.

Avoid cigarettes and other drugs. These stimulants unnaturally make you feel good in the short term but have long-term negative consequences for mood and emotional health. Consider what God's Word makes clear: "Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit . . . You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, New Living Translation).