5.15 Health Habits

Behavior shapes health

Health psychology studies how behavior, attitudes, and stress affect physical health. Habits like diet, exercise, sleep, and substance use directly influence illness risk. Psychologists study how people can adopt healthier behaviors and why unhealthy habits (like smoking or overeating) are so hard to break, often due to stress relief, addiction, or social reinforcement.

Stress and coping

Chronic stress weakens the immune system and increases risk of illness (e.g., heart disease, ulcers). Coping strategies can be problem-focused (directly addressing the stressor) or emotion-focused (managing feelings about the stressor). Social support, exercise, and relaxation techniques (meditation, biofeedback) are effective ways to reduce stress's harmful health effects.

Building healthy habits

Regular exercise improves mood, reduces anxiety/depression, and boosts overall health via endorphin release. Adequate sleep supports memory, immune function, and emotional regulation. Poor health habits often develop from learned associations (e.g., smoking linked to relaxation) — behavioral principles like reinforcement can also help people build and maintain healthier routines.

Key terms

Health psychology

The study of how behavior, attitudes, and stress influence physical health and illness.

Problem-focused coping

A coping strategy that directly addresses and tries to change the source of stress.

Emotion-focused coping

A coping strategy focused on managing one's emotional reaction to a stressor rather than solving it.

Effect of chronic stress on immune system

Chronic stress weakens immune function, increasing susceptibility to illness.

Exercise and mental health

Regular exercise releases endorphins, improving mood and reducing anxiety and depression.

Try an AP-style question

Regular aerobic exercise is linked to…

1. worse sleep
2. reduced depression and anxiety
3. lower self-esteem
4. higher stress hormones