How Every Personality Can Feel Great

Knowing yourself is the key to unlocking a happier, healthier life. Find the character trait that describes you (there might be more than one!), then follow the custom plan to feel your best.

- Dana Hudepohl

DO YOU: GET MAD PRETTY EASILY?

Whether you blow up or let your anger simmer, it doesn’t bode well for your heart. Anger has been linked with spikes in the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine, which can raise your heart rate and blood pressure and cause inflammation in artery walls, putting you at greater risk for heart disease. In fact, in one study, wives who fired off digs like “You can be so stupid” when discussing dicey topics like money and in-laws with their partners had higher levels of calcification (or hardening) of their arteries.

TRY THIS QUICK FIX…

Ask yourself, Is this really important to me? Is what I’m feeling appropriate to the facts? Can I modify the situation in a positive way? Is taking action worth it? Asking these questions in the moment has been shown to reduce anger and depression and even lower blood pressure, says Redford Williams, M.D., head of behavioral medicine at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC. If the answer to any of the above is no, drop it and take deep breaths to lower your heart rate. …

AND MAKE THIS A HABIT

Blow off steam by running, boxing, cycling—whatever works to smooth your rough edges. Research shows that even a single 30-minute bout of cardio can protect against the buildup of anger. “If you know you’re going into an anger-evoking situation, getting a workout in ahead of time could be beneficial,” says study author Nathaniel Thom, Ph.D., an associate professor of biology at Wheaton College in Illinois. Noted: Spin, then negotiate the cable bill.

DO YOU: FEEL HAPPIEST AT HOME?