Everyday Habits That Can Help Reduce Stress

New study links psychological flexibility to healthy lifestyle choices.

Mar. 23, 2026 at 7:00pm

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A new study from Binghamton University found that following a healthy lifestyle, including eating breakfast regularly, exercising daily, and taking fish oil supplements, can boost psychological flexibility - the ability to adapt one's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to changing situations. This psychological flexibility, in turn, makes people more resilient to stress.

Why it matters

The findings provide insight into how everyday lifestyle choices can impact our ability to cope with stress and adversity. By understanding the connection between diet, exercise, and psychological flexibility, people can take proactive steps to build resilience and better manage stress in their lives.

The details

The study surveyed 401 college students and found that those who ate breakfast at least 5 times per week, exercised for at least 20 minutes per day, and took fish oil supplements 4 or more times per week demonstrated greater psychological flexibility. In contrast, frequent use of marijuana and fast food consumption were linked to lower levels of psychological flexibility.

  • The study was recently published in the Journal of American College Health.

The players

Lina Begdache

An associate professor of health and wellness studies at Binghamton University who led the research study.

Binghamton University

The State University of New York campus where the research was conducted.

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What they’re saying

“They're able to change the way they think about the situation and then use brain resources to handle the stress.”

— Lina Begdache, Associate Professor

“The new finding here is that diet and lifestyle don't just make you resilient by themselves. They help you build the psychological flexibility, which, in turn, makes you a resilent person.”

— Lina Begdache, Associate Professor

What’s next

The researchers plan to further investigate how specific dietary and lifestyle factors influence psychological flexibility and resilience in different populations.

The takeaway

By adopting healthy habits like eating breakfast, exercising regularly, and taking fish oil supplements, people can build the psychological flexibility needed to better cope with stress and adversity in their daily lives.