Humans need stress in order to react to a dangerous situation appropriately. When a hiker rounds a corner and comes face to face with a grizzly bear, adrenaline and cortisol flood the body, triggering the “fight or flight" response that will give the hiker the fuel and clarity they need to escape or to turn and face the bear. The heart rate speeds up, breath quickens, blood pressure rises and senses sharpen to tune in to the present emergency. People describe a haunting clarity and sometimes a sense of slow-motion that attend crisis situations. 

The problem with the stress response comes in when people — most people in contemporary American culture — experience the symptoms of stress on a daily basis, due to anxiety brought on by work, finances, relationships, trauma or any myriad of stress-inducing phenomena that fill our daily lives. When stress doesn’t leave the body, it can cause intense anxiety, depression and problems with immunity, cardiovascular and digestive systems, and, of course, sleep. 

No one wants to be stressed, yet it seems that these days, everyone complains about being stressed out. A recent Gallup poll found that eight in ten Americans reported being frequently or sometimes affected by stress. So, what can people do to avoid the problem of stress that just won’t leave them alone? 

Many de-stressing strategies have become so familiar that they lose their appeal. That’s why we’ve come up with a list of strategies you may not have tried before, which may just be the cure you’ve been looking for! Let’s find out which method will reduce the stress experienced by your particular personality!