Urbanites are very busy. Try these four steps to help you take care of yourself in a hectic urban setting. In such a high stress environment, one needs some tips for staying sane, healthy and maintaining a tight budget.

The Fresh Start - Relax

Take a yoga class right after work. If you do this every night it will not only cost a lot (around $12 to $18), but it will take a lot of time - So try something new.

First before you even get in the house declare that you will not check your e-mail, voice mail and other work related tasks for at least two hours. Then as soon as you walk in the door get out of your work clothes, throw on something comfortable and stretch.

Just a few sun salutations and gentle back- bends will do wonders. Lie down on your bed for 5 minutes, close your eyes, and breathe, letting your mind wander.

Living, working, and walking around in a bustling city on concrete streets all day can be murder on your feet and, as a result, your whole body.

Can′t afford a health spa or a fancy pedicure? Take advantage of your local nail salon's 15-minute neck and shoulder massage (they generally cost about $15).

Make your own foot soak - use essentials oils along with the Epson salts. Try tea tree oil (antifungal), lavender, (soothes tired feet) or eucalyptus oils (disinfectant) for both the delicious scents and also to soften and clean the pores of your tired feet.

Your Space - Keep It Clean and Light

Make it a priority, to create a relaxed, comfortable, and clean living space, no matter how small. Take your shoes off when you come home, leaving the grime of the city outside, and resist piling your work stuff on the table where you eat.

Spend 10 minutes in the evening putting things away, especially if you have one of those kitchen-office-living-dining-multipurpose rooms big city apartments are famous for. Caring for your living space should be part of the way you care for yourself.

Good quality air and light are big problems in the city. Think about investing in an air purifier to remove the toxins and pollutants that will waft in as soon as you throw open your windows. You may have to buy your own sunshine.

Put full-spectrum light bulbs in your bedroom and living spaces. This type of lighting, studies show, can give you all the health benefits of sun light.

Full-spectrum light bulbs aren't cheap, but they should last about 8 to 10 times the life of regular light bulbs. A couple of strategically placed mirrors can reflect and amplify what little outside light reaches your room.

Become an Outdoorsman

Make a sandwich or salad in a takeout dish - eat in the park- watch the people. Even sitting on a porch or door step is better than being indoors all the time in stale air.

Take a hike or cycle through the city routes that are provided by the park districts.

Get a dog - you will enjoy walking the dog when you see how good you feel and the energy it gives you during the week. Look for community gardens.

Sign up for a garden plot of your own, take workshops, or just go in and sit down for a midday break amid the flowers and the trees.

Eat Good Food - Take Vitamins

Keep dried fruit (my favorite is dried apricots) and nuts in bags at the office. Snack on these instead of the stale - empty calories found in your local vending machines. Lovingly make fresh salads at home - make it a project to cut up the fresh vegetables.

Canned chicken or tuna is a great way to get taste into a salad. Resist the urge to stop at a fast food restaurant - in 10 minutes, the urge will be gone. Don't get so famished that you grab the first fast food you can find.

Reserve two nights a week for cooking and freeze portions to be eaten later on during the week or month. You can always make up a large pot of beans and make some rice.

Store a mixture of the rice and beans in freezer containers - this is very healthy and if you store up enough of these you can overcome the urge to buy junk food or eat out.

Keep canned tuna and red salmon in the pantry; make up fresh tuna or salmon salad for lunch or dinner. Buy peppers when on sale- make stuffed peppers for freezing.

Supplementing your diet with vitamins is essential in this bustling world. Multivitamins are a must, and then add B complex, and calcium.

As with any vitamin or supplement, please consult your doctor before taking. Author Beverly Terhune speaks from 35 years of living with Rheumatoid Arthritis and shares her experience, strength & hope on how to lead a healthy, substance-free life.

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