When work has you feeling tense, spend two minutes rocking in a rocking chair or just swaying from side to side. The gentle, repetitive motion puts the nervous system into a relaxed meditative state and calms the brain’s anxiety center (the amygdala).
A research conducted at the University of Miami shows the effect is so powerful, that it can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol by twenty-five percent or more, plus cut stress levels in half for 2 hours at a stretch.

Stress and sweltering temperatures can be a toxic combination for sleep. The problem: Elevated levels of cortisol disrupt the natural evening rise in the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin; and the heat prevents the body from cooling itself down and starting its sleep inducing process.
This simple trick can help get some zzzs: Place a cold compress on your forehead or neck or take a cool shower before bed. This encourages the body to cool itself, which helps re-sync circadian rhythms and alert the brain that it’s time to go to bed.

The body uses stored water to keep cool, but on hot days, fifty-percent of us retain too much fluid, which leaves us feeling puffy and heavy, according to British researchers. The slimming Rx: Nibble on 1 cup of cucumber slices per day. This refreshing treat is packed with natural diuretics (caffeic and ascorbic acids) that help shed up to 4 pounds of excess fluid in one week.

Eating a light bedtime snack that contains tryptophan may help. Tryptophan is an amino acid that your body converts to melatonin and serotonin, both of which are thought to induce sleep. Light-and-easy bedtime snacks high in tryptophan may include a cup of yogurt with granola, a small bowl of oatmeal with low-fat milk or a banana.

- Mayo Clinic -