These days it seems everyone is dealing with increased stress and anxiety. And who wouldn’t be in the midst of a pandemic unlike any seen since the turn of the 20th century? Schools and workplaces are shut down. Parents are having to navigate working fulltime from home while simultaneously looking after children. Bars and restaurants are closed, and every time you turn on the TV, there seems to be more bad news with regards to the increasing rates of COVID-19 infections. Any one of these scenarios, on their own, would be cause for stress. Taken all together, it can feel overwhelming. There are some things that can help alleviate those feeling of being overwhelmed. The first is meditation. Contrary to popular portrayals in films, you don’t need to sit under a waterfall or train for years under the practiced eye of a master in order to meditate effectively. All you need is about 15 minutes of quiet while you practice deep breathing techniques or a progressive muscular relaxation technique.(1)These meditationtechniques may also have the benefit of lowering blood pressure.(2) The second is exercise. The physical benefits of exercise have long been known. But in addition to keeping your heart healthy and reducing your risk for type 2 diabetes, exercise can also elevate your mood. Exercise has been shown to reduce cortisol levels and increase the release of mood elevating endorphins.(1,3) Third is acupuncture. It seems counterintuitive that being poked by tiny needles can help reduce stress levels, but studies haveshown that not only does acupuncture help lower cortisol levels (4), it also increases proliferation of white blood cells as well as T-cell proliferation, both of which are essential in preventing illness. If you would like to discuss ways to reduce your stress levels, you can call our office to schedule an appointment (407) 732-6920 1.https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax#:~:text=The%20mental%20benefits%20of%20aerobic,natural%20painkillers%20and%20mood%20elevators. 2.https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-014-0320-4 3.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC474733/ 4.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18054727/5.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20709154/