If you aren't into spiritual / new age practices you may never have heard of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) which is more commonly known as Tapping. In Tapping, we (literally) tap

on the different meridians of the body putting pressure on different points. In doing so, we lower the level of cortisol in our brain; cortisol is the hormone  that produces

stress. This will help to unclog and unblock our body. 

If you are at work, close the door and turn off the light. If you can't do that, find a

quiet conference room or go hideout in your car for 15 minutes! If you are at home, find a quiet and peaceful place, let some sunlight into your room, and

sit in a comfortable position.

At first Tapping may seem foreign and weird. You may even feel silly as you tap specific points of the body and speak out loud

to yourself. That's ok! Embrace the silly. Embrace the unfamiliar. Whatever happens, it is better then the stress attack that's brewing deep inside you!

If you are overwhelmed with stress and anxiety, a practice of mindfulness and meditation may be just the trick for you. Nearly 20% of Americans report dealing with "extreme levels

of stress," while only 37% of those actually believed they handled stress well. Ok. Now that we're on the same page, let's talk about meditation. 

When you meditate, you immediately

calm the body and slow it down--- which is why some super anxious folks have a hard time meditating for that specific reason. Meditation will calm your body down, help

you talk your way out of the fearful moment you are experiencing, and help you achieve a more balanced state. 

If you're new to mediation, an app like

target="_blank">Headspace can help you with beginner-level meditations for stress. Deepak Chopra is also a great resource for guided meditations! The possibilities online are endless once you're ready to

jump into the deep end. 

Let's start by clarifying something. Emotionally your way through an entire bag of caramel and cheddar cheese popcorn is NOT the way to eat to keep stress at bay. Emotional-based binges are

a bad (and false) way to use coping mechanisms to anesthetize pain with food. What IS advised is strategically snacking on items that are have chemical makeups that will support your

stress relief. For example, dark chocolate. High in antioxidants, one and a half ounces of dark chocolate every day is believed to reduce hormones in the body that produce stress. 

Other foods

that might do the trick? Fatty fish, like salmon, that are high in Omega-3 fatty acids, nuts and avocados. Just be sure to practice portion control and moderation at all times!