There are many ways to enhance your healthy behaviors and reduce your reliance on destructive habits. To start, you can learn how to turn off your body's fight-or-flight reflex through breathing exercises and relaxation techniques.

Here are some simple stress-reducing strategies to help you lessen the impact of stress on your health and wellbeing.

Practice mindful relaxation

Mindful relaxation is an effective way to combat stress. With a little practice, you can learn how to shift into a relaxation mode. When done successfully, the relaxation response increases alpha brain wave activity and lowers blood pressure, pulse, respiration rate, metabolic rate, oxygen consumption, anxiety, and produces a greater sense of wellbeing.

Over time, you will develop an ability to shift into a more relaxed state in the midst of stressful situations.