got stress? with 75% of adults reporting moderate to high levels of stress in the past month, there has to be a solution so what are the best scientific methods to deal with stress and anxiety? how can you genuinely relax your mind and body they say laughter is the best medicine. turns out, it's also the stress medicine when we laugh our oxygen intake increases stimulating the release of endorphins. studies even show that simply waiting to see a funny movie can increase beta endorphin levels by 27% and decrease stress hormone levels in the bloodstream. after a hilarious film, participants had lower levels of the stress hormone chromogranin a in their saliva and while you're at the movies why not make out with someone it decreases cortisol and increases oxytocin from the pituitary gland in the brain creating feelings of attachment bonding contentment and security study participants who kissed their partners regularly over six weeks has lower blood cholesterol
level of course some chewing gum might help your breasts but a japanese study also found that those who chewed twice a day for two [weeks] [increased] their feelings of well-being other study participants who chews gum while being subjected to a stress inducing task also shows lower levels of cortisol and their saliva than those who didn't have gum and not because of the ingredients in the gum but simply from the act of chewing known as mastication this repetitive motion is directly related to increased activity in the cerebral area of the brain and relaxation time spent in nature or even a simple house plant can lower stress levels [-] in 1982 the japanese government started a shinrin yoku or [forced] [baiting] campaign
promoting the benefits of spending time [in] the forest for this purpose in just one short visit to the forest cortisol levels heart rate and blood pressure have all been shown to decrease even hospital patients who have a view of nature tend to have better pain tolerance and faster recovery rates compared to those who faced only a blank wall speaking of leaves even though relaxation from tea may simply be a placebo it turns out that the anticipation of a ritual linked with relaxing emotions may very well be a self-fulfilling prophecy [in] other words if you're mentally preparing yourself to relax with your favorite calming tea or relaxing scented oils our brain is primed to slow down and can actually influence well-being the amygdala in the brain is responsible for emotional control and is directly connected to our olfactory
system. inhaling a candle scent reminiscent of a happy childhood time like warm apple pie may very well help us relive those memories creating a better mood. music can have a similar effect. songs with 60 to 80 beats per minute but no lyrics have been shown to reduce stress even in patients who have undergone various types of surgeries [and] if you can get or being near a pet do it having a dog correlates to lower scores on anxiety tests. 12% compared to 21% for those without one and being in the presence of a friendly dog has been shown to lower cortisol levels and increase oxytocin. finally, some people relax and focused by fidgeting which is why we made another video on fidget spinners the new toy craze and whether or not they actually work. head over to that video by [clicking] the screen or using the link in the description and subscribe for more weekly science videos
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