If you’re a worrier or someone who tends to get stressed easily, it’s probably time to rethink that stress. Studies suggest that being anxious or under constant pressure can have harmful effects on your heart health, from high blood pressure and higher cholesterol levels to an increased risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.

Letting go of stress is a process that takes time, but is well worth it. The first step will be to identify the things that cause your stress. This might mean looking at what you are doing in your life and how you manage your time. Do you have a good work/life balance? There’s nothing wrong with working hard, but it can also be stressful if it interferes with spending time with friends or family. Maybe you need to eliminate distractions at home or reduce your workload or increase self-care activities like exercise or meditation. Once you’ve identified what stresses you out, you can take action to reduce stressors by making changes or eliminating those activities altogether.

If you are not able to cut out a stressor, your next step is to stop focusing on it. If you can learn to accept the things you cannot change and concentrate on the ones you can, you would be happier, healthier and successful. Do not let stress take away your happiness and make you lose your connection with life. Instead, enjoy your life now and embrace every moment as it comes.