chronic stress. Minimize daily stressors, if possible, such as being involved with high stakes business dealings. If you are under chronic stress where you produce that stress hormone every day, then your cardiovascular system will naturally go into a state where it is overworking. This overworking happens because the stress hormone increases your pulse, respiration, and heart rate. Your body thinks you need to either fight or run and is naturally getting your body ready do one of those things. Many people have a temporary rise in blood pressure when under stress. If you have high blood pressure because you are overweight or have a family history of hypertension, then stress raises it that much more. This is because your adrenal gland releases stress hormones which tend to cause your cardiovascular system to overwork. Taking a soaking hot bath or hot shower for 15 minutes can actually suppress your blood pressure for several hours. Taking a hot bath just prior to bedtime can help the body retain lower blood pressure for hours or even the entire night. to calm yourself and reduce your blood pressure. Take time every day to calm yourself, as this can reduce your overall stress. Simply observing and slowing the respiration rate produces a significant reduction in blood pressure. When you are meditating, you can simply focus on breathing deeply and slowly. Do this until you fall asleep or you feel relaxed. Walk every day for at least 20 to 30 minutes at a moderate speed of about 3.0mph (4.8km/h). Study after study has demonstrated that the mere act of walking has a suppression effect on hypertension. Can't walk outside? Use a treadmill inside. The advantage is that you can walk even as it rains or snows outside. You can even walk in your pajamas without the neighbors seeing you! Taking a long walk will take the edge off a stressful day long before bedtime. Make time for decompressing each and every day.

Summary: Reduce Take a relaxing bath or shower to reduce your blood pressure. Meditate Take a walk or do some other type of exercise every day.

When you first accept promises, only say yes if you are certain that you can, without a doubt, complete the task. If you are uncertain, ask the other person for more time to think about the request. Look over your schedule and other commitments. Check to make sure you have time to complete the task. Ask questions about the task so that you know what you are taking on. When must it be done by? How much time will it take? What exactly do you have to do? Don't give up another promise to complete a new one. For example, don't promise your coworker that you will fix their computer if it means you will miss your child's baseball game. Avoid exaggerating about what you can do. For example, if your boss asks you to complete a report by the end of the week, don't say "I can have it done in 2 days" if you need more time. if you can't accept the responsibility. Saying no does not make you unreliable. Instead, it shows that you understand the importance of the request. If you don't have time, energy, or the resources to do something, it is okay to say you can't do it. You don't need to say "no" directly. You can use a softer rejection, such as "I don't think I can do that" or "I can't make that promise." Don't make false excuses to get out of something. Be honest about why you can't do it. For example, instead of lying to your friend that you have an appointment the same day as their move, you can just say something like, "I'm sorry, but I can't help." If you've got a lot going on, it can be easy to simply forget or lose track of your promises and commitments. Once you have committed to something, write it down. Set aside time to complete it. Use the same planner, calendar, or app to keep track of all of your commitments, so that you have a realistic idea of what you need to do every day. For example, you might write, "Housesit for Maria next week" or "Deliver the cake to John on the 23rd." If you made a more abstract promise, such as to be more considerate or less disruptive, you might give yourself a daily reminder, such as "Tell Shona how much she means to me" or "Remember to be quiet when you get home tonight." Give yourself a timeline to complete the task. You might break up the task a little bit every day or write down the date it is due. If it is on a specific day, block off how much time you will need to prepare and get it done. for yourself. It's easier to manage goals and commitments if you keep them SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound). Instead of committing to something vague and overwhelming (e.g., "I'm going to be more productive at work"), make a more specific promise that meets these criteria. For example, instead of setting a general productivity goal, you might say, "I'm going to finish these 2 major reports by the end of this week." Sometimes, things outside of our control prevent us from keeping our promises. In this case, it is best to give the other person as much time as possible to know. As soon as you know you can't come through, contact the other person so that they can make other arrangements. Apologize and explain why you're not able to do it. For example, you might say, "I know you needed me to run the bake sale table on Saturday, but my husband came down with a cold, and I don't think I can do it. I am so sorry." If possible, suggest someone else who might be able to help. For example, you might say, "I think Sally has a truck that will fit your couch. Do you want me to ask her if she can do it?" Try not to wait until the night before or day of to tell the other person, unless absolutely necessary.

Summary: Agree to do things that you know you can complete. Learn to say no Write down your promises in a planner or schedule. Set SMART goals Cancel in advance if necessary.

People who are not transgender or nonbinary are called "cisgender." Being cisgender means you rarely have to worry that people will mistake you for a gender that feels wrong. It means you are unlikely to experience familial rejection, unemployment, social isolation, or physical violence because of your gender identity. While some transgender people do not experience any of these problems, many do. Transgender people are at an outsize risk of physical violence from others. Due to physical attacks and familial rejection, transgender people experience high rates of suicide attempts. Recognize that being cisgender means that you avoid a lot of issues that transgender people have no choice but to face. Be a good ally and stand up for transgender people. If you hear someone putting down someone in your life, speak up and say that you respect that person and don't want to hear them insulted. If someone uses a slur or makes a joke or a prejudicial statement about gender-nonconforming people, tell them you are offended. You might say, "I don't appreciate you calling my friend a "tr*nny." You don't know what her life is. You should check yourself before you start putting down people based on their gender." Your time and money can help improve the quality of life of the transgender people you know and the ones you haven't met. Transgender youth experience high rates of homelessness due to familial abandonment or hostility. Consider donating to a shelter for LGBTQ youth. Advocate for better treatment of transgender prisoners, who are sometimes placed in the wrong facility based on their assigned sex. Support affordable healthcare for gender-affirming surgery, hormones, trans-friendly gynecology, and other treatments essential to the wellbeing of some transgender people.
Summary: Recognize cisgender privilege. Speak up if you hear transphobic statements. Donate to or volunteer with trans-positive causes.