Being in control of your life and having realistic expectations about your day­-to-­day challenges are the keys to stress management, which is perhaps the most important ingredient to living a happy, healthy and rewarding life. ­—Marilu Henner, actress

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Explore practices for ensuring mental health and emotional balance in your life
• Identify sources, symptoms, and strategies for managing stress
• Identify techniques for developing and maintaining healthy eating habits
• Describe the major risks of an unhealthy diet and the benefits of healthy eating
• Identify the benefits of regular exercise, for both body and brain
• Identify the benefits of sleep for physical and mental health
• Explain what substance use and abuse is and identify the warning signs that help may be needed
• Identify sexually healthy behaviors, including protecting against unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease
• Identify the risks of sexual assault, including date rape, and where to go for help
• Define and practice safety consciousness