FEELING STRESSED? LOOK TO RITUALS

Rituals play an important role in managing stress, according to a study conducted at the University of Connecticut. “Rituals helps reduce anxiety by providing the brain with a sense of structure, regularity, and predictability,” says study author Assistant Professor of Anthropology Dimitris Xygalatas. Well-practised rituals, the researchers found, are repetitive and predictable and so give our brains the sense of control and structure we crave, and those feelings help alleviate stress. The stress-reducing impact of rituals could be a way to cope with chronic anxiety.