|
Mistake #4: Going for a Walk in the Park
Communing with redwoods, smelling the zinnias, inhaling negative ions after a rainstorm—all undeniably restorative. Except if your stressed-out self has a history of allergies. When researchers at Ohio State University gave the “skin prick” test to a group of seasonal-allergy sufferers, stress made all the difference in the severity of the reaction. When people were strung out after, say, delivering a speech, the wheals on their arms were twice as big as they were when they were not stressed. (Even slight stress worsened an allergic reaction.) The more nervous a sufferer, the worse the wheals the following day—a delayed reaction that is often unresponsive to antihistamines. When strung out, it helps to stop and smell the roses—but not always literally.
Keep Reading
