We know that one of the worst things you can do when feeling stressed is to eat your feelings as we typically choose unhealthy, sugary, fattening comfort food. So, how can we soothe our stress without turning to food? Here are 5 suggestions you can try:

1. Be grateful for the little things in your life – Learn prayers or sayings of gratitude, keep a gratitude journal, or send a handwritten thank you note to someone who has helped you or influenced you in a positive way.

2. Come to Your Senses – When you have trouble clearing your mind of worries and stress, try focusing on your senses:
   1. State one scent you can smell.
   2. Name two sounds you can hear.
   3. Describe three sensations your body is feeling, such as temperature, the texture of your sweater, or your feet against the ground.
   4. Identify four colors that you see.
   5. To yourself, begin by naming five things you see in front of you.

3. Have a loved one give you a massage – Personal touch with a loved one releases a hormone in our body called oxytocin (aka the “cuddle hormone”) that reduces blood pressure, glucose intolerance, insulin resistance, and cortisol (aka the “stress hormone”) levels. Plus, a massage just feels good!

4. Play! It’s not just for kids – Engage in humor, games, roughhousing, flirtation or fantasy. Play can enhance your imagination, creativity, problem-solving abilities, and emotional well-being. So, host a game night, throw a Frisbee at the park, joke with strangers at the bus stop, and play with children (if you don’t have kids then you can play with friends kids, nephews, nieces, or other young relatives).

5. When you feel stressed, embrace it! One of my favorite TED Talks is by Dr. Kelly McGonigal entitled   “How to Make Stress Your Friend” (https://www.ted.com/talks/kelly_mcgonigal_how_to_make_stress_your_friend?language=en) In it she discusses how we can reframe our ides about stress to see it as a positive because it can energize our body to meet challenges and because it makes you more social. 
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