Feel pure calm in seconds

Harvard research has revealed a stress-relief strategy so powerful, it causes levels of the stress hormone cortisol to plummet by 50 percent instantly.

Even better: It doesn’t require special equipment or much effort on your part—you just have to adjust your breathing. “You can use control to change your breath to increase the flow of oxygen to the brain and bring on a state of peace,” says FIRST wellness columnist Jorge Cruise. Read on for the breathing tweaks that will make over your mood. And for more tips, pick up Cruise’s new book, The 3 Choices (Hay House, 2017; Hardcover $20, Kindle $11, Nook $10).