2. Relaxation
Relaxation, whether through meditation, tai chi, yoga, or a walk on the beach, lowers blood pressure, slows respiration and metabolism, and releases muscle tension. As such, it is a good tool to counteract the negative effects of stress. An intriguing 2008 study by University of Michigan researchers Marc Berman, John Jonides, and Stephen Kaplan compared the restorative effects on cognitive function of walking in either a natural or an urban environment. The cognitive function they focused on was voluntary attention. Participants in the study first performed a 35-minute task that fatigued their attention. Then they walked for 50 minutes either in a city or in a large park. Upon their return, participants who took a walk in the park showed much better performance on a test of voluntary attention than those who took a walk in the city.