5 simple ways to minimize stress

Chronic stress triggers a persistent fight-or-flight response, leading to long-term health risks like heart disease and weakened immunity. To combat this, internal medicine physician Dr. Aditi Nerurkar proposes a roadmap of five resets designed to work with human biology rather than against it. Establishing "MOST" goals—motivating, objective, small, and timely—helps prioritize meaningful changes, while setting strict boundaries with technology prevents "popcorn brain" and the cognitive drain of constant task-switching. Harnessing the mind-body connection through brief breathing exercises and intentional movement mitigates physical tension. Furthermore, replacing multitasking with time-blocking and practicing daily gratitude journaling effectively quiets the inner critic. Adopting these strategies using the "resilience rule of two"—implementing only two changes at a time—ensures sustainable habit formation and prevents the overwhelm that often causes well-intentioned lifestyle adjustments to fail.