10 Stress Busters

Everyday Stress Busters

Keep stress from taking over your life with these helpful tools.
By Therese J. Borchard

Stress is like dark chocolate. A little of it won't kill you. In fact, small blocks here and there can be good for you, or at least give you a reason to get out of bed in the morning. But chronic and severe stress can damage your body and mind, blocking the fluid communication to and from most organs--especially in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and in the limbic system, the brain's emotional center. Believe me, you want these two systems running as smoothly as possible, with low levels of the delinquent stress hormones in your bloodstream. Which is why I always keep some stress busters handy. Here are 10 of my favorites.