The 15-Minute Daily Habit That Reduces Stress by 68%

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Today’s Health Upgrade

• Number you won’t forget

• Weekly wisdom

• Better questions, better solutions

Health
Number You Won’t Forget: 84 Percent

If you've ever wondered why stress levels keep climbing while everyone searches for the perfect recovery routine, here's a plot twist: we might have collectively ditched one of the most effective tools we had. 

New research reveals that Americans have abandoned a simple daily habit that reduces stress as well as — and, at times, more effectively than — exercise, meditation apps, or massage.

Taking just 15 minutes to read for pleasure can reduce your stress levels by 68 percent — but 84 percent of American adults no longer do it daily.

Researchers analyzed data from over 236,000 Americans between 2003-2023 and discovered something alarming: daily reading for pleasure plummeted by more than 40 percent, dropping from 28 percent to just 16 percent of adults. 

Why does this matter for your health? Because reading repeatedly shows up in research as an activity that supports healthier living. 

Researchers found that reading for just 6 minutes per day reduces stress by 68 percent — outperforming music (61%), tea (54%), and even walking (42%). When you read, your heart rate drops and cortisol levels decrease as your nervous system shifts out of fight-or-flight mode.

The sleep benefits are equally impressive. A randomized trial found that 42 percent of bedtime readers reported better sleep quality, compared to 28 percent of non-readers. Those who read before bed averaged 25 extra minutes of sleep per night — that's nearly three additional hours weekly.

You don’t need to read a book all at once, but it’s a good idea to make time for some reading each day. And the best time could be right before you sleep. 

Replace 15 to 30 minutes of evening screen time with reading. Start with anything that genuinely interests you — fiction, biographies, even sports magazines count. The key isn't what you read, but creating a consistent wind-down ritual that lets your brain process the day. Your stress levels (and sleep quality) will thank you.

Mindset
Weekly Wisdom

We spend so much time trying to “find ourselves”—in jobs, hobbies, retreats, personality tests. But what if the answer isn’t hidden in introspection, but in contribution?

Gandhi’s words aren’t just poetic; they’re practical. When you focus on helping others, you stop obsessing over your own flaws, anxieties, and unmet expectations. 

You create meaning not by chasing identity, but by offering value, help, empathy, support, or care. And often, in the act of serving—whether through listening, showing up, or lifting someone else—you discover the version of yourself you’ve been searching for all along: capable, compassionate, and purposeful.

Turn Wisdom Into Action:
Any type of help can make difference. Hold the door. Offer a compliment. Help a friend move. Text someone just to say you’re thinking of them. Service doesn’t need to be grand to be transformative—it just needs to be consistent. Start small, and you might find that giving to others is the most powerful way to reconnect with yourself.

Together With Celluma 
Can Red Light Make You Look Younger? 

If you’ve been tempted by anti-aging protocols, science suggests an effective, non-invasive solution exists — and it comes from a lightbulb.

A recent clinical trial found that red light therapy can successfully reduce visible signs of aging — without the need for needles or chemicals.

Researchers applied different types of light to opposite sides of the face of women aged 40 to 65, all of whom showed visible signs of sun-related skin aging. Participants received a total of 10 treatments over four weeks. 

After just one month, red light worked like the fountain of youth and reduced wrinkles by more than 30 percent.

This isn’t a cheap trick, it’s your body unlocking its natural anti-aging mechanisms. Red light stimulates the cells that produce collagen and elastin, helping your skin regenerate from within. It also reduces inflammation and oxidative stress — two major drivers of visible aging.

And unlike more aggressive treatments, red light therapy is gentle enough for individuals with sensitive skin, keloids, or diabetes, making it a better fit than other more invasive procedures, like injections or dermal abrasion.

If you’re looking for LED treatment, most devices don’t have a strong enough power density and radiant exposure (the total “dose") to make a difference.

But Celluma — which has more FDA clearances than any other LED light therapy brand in the world — is backed by clinical research that supports its claims. 

Celluma designed their LED devices to wrap around your face (or anywhere you need them), delivering medical-grade results from the comfort of your own home. It’s FDA-cleared, NASA-inspired, and backed by more clinical indications than any other light therapy brand.

Whether you’re targeting younger looking skin, reducing pain or inflammation, or hair regrowth, Celluma’s multi-mode technology adjusts to your needs — no needles, no downtime, no nonsense. The result is a reduction of fine lines and wrinkles and an improvement in the overall tone, texture, and appearance of the skin.

To try it yourself, APC readers get up to $300 off their most popular red light devices when using the code PUMPANDGLOW at checkout. It’s a low-risk, high-reward technology that can use anywhere — face, scalp, or body — to help deliver the results you want.

Better Questions, Better Solutions
The Shortcut That’s Costing You Progress

Old Question:
Should I take this supplement?

Better Question:
What problem am I actually trying to solve—and is this supplement the right tool for it?

Supplements aren’t magic. They’re tools—and like any tool, they only work when used for the right job. Most people reach for pills based on promise, not purpose. But lasting results don’t come from what’s trending. They come from choosing the solution that fits your specific need.

The most consistent pattern in supplement research: The people who benefitted most were those with a clear deficiency or a specific need or use case.

• Creatine works best for high-intensity training and power output or if you have a cognitive deficit (whether related to aging, sleep deprivation, or a neurological limitation)

• Magnesium helps if you’re low—and about 50% of people are.

• Vitamin D helps immune function, but only if your baseline is deficient.

• Omega-3s may reduce inflammation, but the effect size is smaller in people who already eat fatty fish or have low inflammation.

In other words, supplements tend to show the most benefit in people with a measurable gap or goal — not just the average person looking for a vague health boost.

Too many people take supplements “just in case, ”but that’s like grabbing a hammer when what you need is a screwdriver, or when you’re not even working on a project. 

Without identifying the real problem, you’re not just wasting money — you’re delaying better solutions.

Before you buy a supplement, assess what you’re trying to achieve:

1. What is your goal and have you prioritized the habits and behaviors that lead to results?

2. Do you have a real gap (dietary, lifestyle, or lab-based) a supplement is proven to address?

3. Are there higher-impact, more reliable ways to fix this first (like food, sleep, or training)?

If the answer isn’t clear, the supplement probably won’t solve it. Your clarity, daily habits, and consistency—not your cabinet—is what moves you forward. The supplements are just there to support, fill the gaps, and give you support when everything else isn’t getting the job done.

And that’s it for this week. Thank you for being part of the positive corner of the internet, and we hope you all have a fantastic weekend!
-Arnold, Adam, and Daniel

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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger​

Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell