ABSTRACT
This chapter explores practical lifestyle interventions to optimize well-being and happiness, as well as manage stress, anxiety, and depression. It introduces several tools to assist the clinician in identifying and measuring response to interventions. Well-being can be optimized by leading individuals away from unhealthy and toward healthy coping strategies. Coping is a positive and constructive response to stress, with the purpose of maintaining emotional well-being. Among the common coping mechanisms are the thoughts, behaviors, and emotions that are used to master, tolerate, reduce, or minimize stressful events. Physiologic and psychological stressors are major factors in both physical and mental illness and must be addressed for optimal well-being and homeostasis. Stress management is an essential part of an overall healthy lifestyle. Ideally, improving nighttime sleep with scheduling, non-drug therapies, relaxing exercises, and good sleep hygiene will also improve stress management capacity.
