Sharpen your stress reaction

Stress prompts the release of the fight-or-flight hormone cortisol. When levels are high, your immune system isn’t as active, since your body focuses its resources on, well, fighting or fleeing. Instead of attempting to live stress-free (spoiler: it’s impossible), refining the way you cope may mitigate that cortisol response. One of the most useful ways to keep stress in check is to stay in the present moment, says clinical psychologist Beatrice Tauber Prior. “Rather than go down a rabbit hole of all the terrible things that can go wrong – like, ‘What if someone I love gets sick?’ – I name what’s true right now: in this moment, my family and friends are healthy,” she says. Take control of your thoughts rather than allowing your mind to spiral into anxiety.