The Girl's Guide

ve decided that if I’m eating healthfully 90 percent of the time, I don’t need to beat myself up about the other 10 percent.”

Schedule regular breaks—get up, walk around the office, walk around the block. There are simple apps (I like Time Out for Mac/Workrave for Windows) that will freeze your computer for ten minutes every fifty minutes to remind you to take breaks to move and stretch.

Couch-to-5K: An app that coaches you through the transition from couch potato to 5K runner in two months. c25k.com

My Fitness Pal: A food diary, exercise tracker, and super-supportive community that’s dead simple. I love it and use it and recommend it for anyone who’s looking to get fit but doesn’t want to spend a lot of—or any—money. myfitnesspal.com

exactly to your pace (pacedj.com) or try to outrun zombies (zombiesrungame.com).

The most important habit to cultivate is to take time out of your busy schedule for yourself each day—even if it’s just taking ten minutes to read a book.

Talk to friends or family about what’s on your mind. Write it down in a journal or blog, or email it to your best friend.

Feel Better Now: Quick Stress Fixes
• Breathe deeply and slowly. Focus so completely on your breathing that you can’t think about anything else.
• Have tea or lunch with a friend who calms you down.
• My friend Erika recommends repetitive, mindless activities like sewing, chopping vegetables, cleaning the bathroom, or washing dishes.
• Get outside and take a walk, even if it’s just around the block.
• Eat something healthy, like some grape tomatoes or a handful

Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation
by Sharon Salzberg
Mindfulness in Plain English
by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook
by Bob Stahl and Elisha Goldstein
Seeking the Heart of Wisdom
by Joseph Goldstein and Jack Kornfield

Stress Free for Good: 10 Scientifically Proven Life Skills for Health and Happiness
by Dr. Fred Luskin and Dr. Kenneth R. Pelletier
The Feeling Good Handbook
by David D. Burns
Full Catastrophe Living
by John Kabat-Zinn
The Worry Cure
by Robert L. Leahy
The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living
by Amit Sood
The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook
by Martha Davis, Elizabeth