Life can be overwhelming, worrying, and stressful. Contributing to that state are many bites of detailed information about how to be heathier, some of which seem contradictory. You know taking care of yourself helps with stress, but you are stressed thinking about how to find the time to exercise more or to cook from scratch at home more. Here are a few ways to get a little health boost in a minute or less. All those seconds and minutes add up and contribute to a healthier you.

Spice it up: Herbs and spices are powerhouses of nutrition. Getting in the habit of adding parsley, basil, oregano, curry powder, cinnamon, and even good old black pepper to your daily meals increases the amount of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants you consume. No time for cooking? Herbs and spices can be added to foods that are not home cooked. Over time, it makes a real difference and once you get in the habit, it only takes a few seconds.

Stand Up: Do you sit a lot at your job? At PAL, we do - too often, even when we are working to help others have more opportunities to be active. Setting your phone, watch or activity monitor to remind you to stand up and stretch for 30 or 60 seconds makes a difference. Start with once or twice a day. When watching TV, standing up during commercials, even for 30 seconds, changes body chemistry for the better.

Breathe: My favorite stress reliever could be chocolate. It works best when taken in small doses. A three-second exercise you can do anywhere works too, and can be used as much as needed. All it takes is breathing while being aware of breathing. Breathe in deeply and think “breathing in”; breathe out and think “breathing out”. Do it once day or 20 times a day; that’s it. It’s clinically proven to reduce stress hormone levels immediately.

Seasoning dinner with herbs, standing and stretching a couple of times, and mindfully breathing at a traffic light will take almost no time in any given day. These small actions can become small habits that reap real benefits.