Sleep is a time for rest and restoration.  When sleeping, the body has time to repair a lot of the damage that goes on during the day.  Although we need around 8 hours of sleep a day, the average American lives in a sleep-deprived state.  To sleep better, avoid doing stressful nighttime activities such as paying bills, having tense conversations, or checking bad investments.  If you continue to have trouble sleeping, discuss it with your doctor.  

Make sure to eat healthier and limit fatty, processed foods.   Small steps such as eating healthy snacks and skipping deserts can save a lot of money in addition to helping your heart!  Additional weight gain is often the result of mindlessly nibbling or snacking throughout the day.  Try to avoid eating while doing other activities to reduce mindless eating.   

Take your medicine!  In tough times, many people like to cut out or cut back on prescription medication.  This can be very damaging to your health, if you’re having trouble, talk to your doctor about going for a cheaper, generic version of your medication or ask the manufacturer if they have a financial assistance program.

Monitor your blood pressure!  Make sure you know your blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides.  If you already have a related medical problem, follow up with your doctor regularly. 

In tough times, having a routine can bring peace of mind and make you feel in control.  This also helps you consistently take steps to improve your health.

Relax!  Deep breathing, mindfulness, and mediation can have huge impacts on your health.  There are many health centers or places of worship that offer inexpensive or free classes on relaxation techniques.  Deep breathing can help lower your blood pressure as well as reduce the amount of stress hormones gushing into your bloodstream, and mindfulness relaxes you and helps you sleep better.  These techniques also help the ability to avoid anger which leads to spikes in blood pressure during the day.