Magazine Artivle Review: Find Freedom from Stress

 Find Freedom from Stress by Stacey Colino, Prevention Magazine, Prevention.com, December 2025, pp 64-75.

High stress reactivity is when you have been overstressed for too long.  It results in being too vigilent and too quick to react and reactions are too intense and prolonged.  Over time this can lead to a heightened fight or flight response.  Being on high alert can lead to relationship issues and snapping at others.  People with PTSD or early exposure to stress are at greater risk.  Unless you find a way to get to a normal baseline stress can become accumulative.  this can up your risk for many health issues: sleep disturbances, chronic pain issues, heart disease, diabetes and cancer and it can exacerbate asthma and arthritis.  It can lead to wear and tear on the body which can accelerate the aging process.  

Tools to bring stress reactivity down include a healthy diet, plenty of sleep and a social network of support.  Consistent aerobic exercise can bring stress levels down.  Slow breathing exercises can be of great benefit.  As can calming your mid through meditation.  Accepting that stress is inevitable can help you bounce back quicker.  Ruminating on a stressful event is not helpful.  Lastly the author suggests the Healthy Minds App developed by Richard J. Davidson can be helpful in building resilience and connectivity.

**Five New Ways to Fight Depression from Everyday Health

http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-report/major-depression-resource-center/surprising-ways-fight-depression-pictures.aspx?xid=salesnl_8132_20140602#/slide-1

Some of this ideas are totally new to me; and some are not.  Five nontraditional ways to fight depression which are best used with traditional treatments of medications and counseling.
1. Try Meditation:  A good way to do this is focus on breathing, through your nose is preferred.
2. Practice Reiki:  Never heard of this before.  It is a Japanese method of applying pressure.  It would involve going to someone, like going for a massage.  "One hour of Reiki is equivalent to hundreds of hours of meditation."
3.  Constructive Wallowing.  Instead of avoiding negative thoughts and feelings, giving your self a chance to experience the negative in a constructive way, so you can move on.
4.  Put Your Emotions on Paper.  Journalling can be very constructive and helpful.  It gives you a chance at looking at negative self talk which may be sabotaging your improvement.
5.  Try Sound Therapy.  This is more than listening to ocean or fire tapes at night; although those things can be very soothing.  There are certain sounds and tones that can stimulate the vagus nerve which can be very beneficial.  (I had never heard of that, but that is what the article says.  Also suggests learning from an expert.)