Whether it’s money, health, family, or job security, it feels like there’s always something to worry about…
The increased stress of our ever-changing lives can take a huge toll on our immune systems.[1] When you feel stressed, your body releases a surge of chemicals and hormones—like adrenaline and cortisol. And when your system gets flooded with those, it can weaken your immune system.
An over-stressed immune system doesn’t pack the same germ-fighting punch, and that can leave you more vulnerable to anything that’s going around.
And a stressed-out, weakened immune system is the last thing you want when you’re already feeling anxious about everything.
Fortunately, there are a lot of low cost or no-cost things you can do to help yourself calm down—even if that feels impossible right now.
Your Immune System on Stress
Long-term stress—and that means anything longer than a few hours—has an enormously negative impact on your immune system.[2] Among other things, long-term stress:
- Increases body-wide inflammation
- Decreases supplies of germ-fighting blood cells (lymphocytes)
- Makes it harder to fight off infections
- Reduces the protection your immune system normally provides
Weirdly, chronic stress both suppresses the immune response AND triggers immune system overreactions.[3] Sometimes it does one or the other, other times it does both at once. That can leave you struggling with a long-term chronic condition (like heart disease) or an autoimmune condition (like lupus or fibromyalgia)... while at the same time you catch every bug that’s going around.
The best way to avoid those outcomes? Find ways to reduce the effects of stress. You may not be able to avoid everything that’s stressing you, but you can take steps to limit the toll it takes on your mind and body.
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13 Easy Ways to Calm Your System
If you’re feeling overloaded with stress and worry, here are ten simple things you can do today to calm yourself and support your immune system.
1. Breathe
Deep, controlled breathing has an immediate calming effect on your nervous system. When you’re feeling highly stressed or emotional, your breathing tends to be quick and shallow. When you slow down and get intentional with your breathing, it sends a “calm down” message to your brain. In turn, your brain then spreads the calming message to your whole body.
The act of focused breathing can significantly reduce the amount of cortisol (the stress hormone) circulating around your body.[4] It also helps balance the immune system so it doesn't under-respond or overreact to threats.
You don’t have to follow any complicated protocols. Just pay attention to your breathing and slow it down. Breathe in deeply through your nose, then out through your mouth (ideally, your exhalation should be longer than your inhalation). Do this whenever you think of it, until it becomes a regular stress-reducing habit.
2. Mindful Meditation
Meditating for just 10 minutes a few times per week can help reduce stress. It’s been shown in studies to lower cortisol, inflammation, and blood pressure levels.[5] You can find information about mindfulness and meditation along with easy ways to incorporate them into your life at mindful.org.
3. Practice Gratitude
Consciously thinking about things you’re thankful for can reduce your stress levels and improve your mood.[6] Recalling moments, people, pets, and objects that make you happy and feeling thankful for them may have profound effects on your body’s response to stress.[7] Practicing gratitude regularly may even reduce stress physical symptoms like headaches, nausea, and shortness of breath. Gratitude can even positively impact your gut!
4. Balance Your Gut
Stress throws your gut microbiome (the trillions of bacteria in your gut) out of balance. The stress response can harm your good bacteria (probiotics) and allow the bad bacteria (pathogens) to flourish. This condition is called dysbiosis, and can greatly interfere with your body’s normal stress responses, making it harder for you to calm down. The extra stress leads to an even bigger microbiome imbalance, which disrupts your stress response even more, and results in you feeling more stressed… it’s a very tricky cycle.
Fortunately, you can get better control of your stress and break the stress-gut cycle by balancing your gut microbiome. The easiest and best way to support your microbiome is with a proven and effective spore-based probiotic.
5. Listen to Music
For thousands of years, people have used music to nourish and heal their minds and bodies. Listening to music helps you tap into different emotions and refocus your emotional energy. Studies show that hearing music can reduce cortisol levels and calm your stress response.[8] Music has also been found to improve immune system function and reverse the negative effects of stress.[9]
6. Eat Calming Foods
What you eat can have a huge impact on both your stress response and your immune system. Specific foods, herbs, and spices can help ease stress and calm your immune system.
Examples of calming foods include:
- Brazil nuts
- Dark chocolate
- Pumpkin seeds
- Salmon
- Avocados
- Turkey
Calming herbs and spices include:
- Chamomile
- Turmeric
- Ginger
- Holy basil
Note: “Comfort foods” are not the same as calming foods. Calming foods contain compounds that actively quiet stress and overactive immune system responses.
7. Reboot Your Focus
When you can’t quiet the stress and anxiety circling in your mind, changing your focus can help. Look around the room for different colored objects (spot 5 red things and 3 blue things). Hold ice cubes in your hands. Find a “centering object,” like a locket, a smooth stone, or a fidget spinner. Jump up and down. Anything that will shift your focus for even a few moments can help calm your stress… and that will effectively calm your immune system too.
8. Take a Walk Outside
Physical movement combined with fresh air, sunshine, and nature can help you calm down quickly. Walking outside delivers the double effect of relieving stress and boosting immune function. Even a few minutes outside can do wonders for your mood and your overall health.[10]
9. Relax Your Body
When you’re stressed out, your whole body feels it. Your jaw clenches, your neck and shoulders tighten, and your muscles tense up. Your body is locked into physical high alert, so relaxing requires a physiological change.
First step: Unclench your jaw.
Step two: Drop your shoulders (they’re probably up by your ears).
Step three: Try some progressive muscle relaxation. To do this, lie flat on the floor, arms at your sides. Keep your legs uncrossed and your hands open and loose. Focus on your toes and relax them. Work your way up your body (toes, feet, calves, thighs… fingers, arms, shoulders) until every muscle in your body is feeling more relaxed.
10. Sniff Some Lavender
Lavender has well-documented calming effects, especially in the form of its essential oil.[11] Lavender aromatherapy can reduce anxiety even in high stress situations; all it takes is a few drops on your sleeve, pillowcase, or handkerchief. Lavender promotes a sense of calm and well-being. On top of all that, lavender has also been shown to reduce inflammation and support a healthier immune system response.[12]
11. Prioritize Polyphenols
Polyphenols are powerful, naturally occurring compounds found in colorful fruits, vegetables, herbs, and teas—and they offer impressive immune support. These plant-based nutrients help your body stay calm and resilient by promoting a healthy inflammatory response, protecting against oxidative stress, and encouraging balance in your immune system.
Polyphenols also act like superfood for your gut bacteria, increasing populations of beneficial microbes that play a critical role in immune function. Two standout sources? Pomegranates (especially rich in punicalagins) and echinacea, both of which deliver antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiviral support while helping your immune system stay alert—but not overreactive.
You can find polyphenols in foods like dark chocolate, berries, green tea, red wine (in moderation!), and healing herbs. Adding more of these to your diet is a delicious and effective way to nourish both your gut and your immune system—and help your body stay calm in the face of everyday stress.
12. Support Your Body’s Antibodies
Your immune system has many defenders—but antibodies are among its most powerful. These specialized proteins are constantly on patrol, identifying and neutralizing threats like viruses, bacteria, and other harmful invaders. They're also great "rememberers," allowing your immune system to respond faster and more effectively when you've been exposed to a bug before.
There are five types of antibodies (also called immunoglobulins), but IgG is the most abundant and important. It provides broad-spectrum protection and helps your body “remember” how to defeat recurring threats. Others, like IgA, protect your eyes, nose, and lungs, while IgM is your first responder against new invaders.
To help your body produce more antibodies—and keep them working at full strength—prioritize healthy habits: eat antioxidant- and protein-rich foods, stay hydrated, manage stress, and aim for moderate movement. If your immune system needs extra support (especially during times of high stress or frequent illness), a well-formulated IgG supplement can help fill in the gaps and promote a strong, balanced immune response.
13. Harness the Power of the “Stress Magician” Probiotic
Chronic stress doesn’t just leave you feeling exhausted—it can age your cells and suppress your immune system, leaving you more vulnerable to illness. When your body is in a constant state of urgency, it never gets a chance to repair or defend itself properly. That’s where a unique probiotic strain, Bifidobacterium longum 1714™, comes in.
Nicknamed the “stress magician,” B. longum 1714™ helps the body mount a healthier, more balanced response to stress. Instead of staying stuck in fight-or-flight mode, your system is better able to bounce back from life's daily stressors. Studies show this strain supports calm brainwave activity, promotes better sleep (even during stressful times), and helps reduce the overall sense of stress. That creates the space your immune system needs to function optimally—because when stress goes down, resilience goes up.
Adding B. longum 1714™ to your daily routine—especially in combination with calming B vitamins—can be a powerful way to dial down mental strain while supporting youthful vitality and immune strength.
Support Everyday Calm and Immune System Harmony with Just Thrive
A calm body is a resilient body—and your immune system thrives when supported from every angle: protection, balance, and inner peace.
Just Thrive’s immune-supportive trio helps you cover all the bases, naturally:
Immunity Plus delivers five clinically proven ingredients that help keep your immune system strong and ready. With polyphenol-packed Pomanox® pomegranate extract, immune hero echinacea, antioxidant-rich selenium, zinc, and Epicor® for digestive and immune support, this powerful blend helps you stay one step ahead—no matter what’s going around.
Ultimate IgG gives your body what it needs most: antibodies. It’s the most concentrated antibody supplement on the market, providing IgG (your immune memory), IgA (your first line of mucosal defense), and IgM (your initial responder). The result? A balanced and effective immune response that helps you stay protected—without overreacting.
Just Calm puts your stress response in check. With the clinically studied strain Bifidobacterium longum 1714™ plus calming B vitamins (B6, B9, B12), this stress-soothing formula helps your mind stay calm, your mood stay lifted, and your immune system stay out of the red zone.
>> Support your immunity from every angle with Just Thrive.
And remember, every Just Thrive product is backed by our “Bottom of the Bottle” money-back guarantee. If you’re not 100% happy—even if the bottle is empty—we’ve got you covered. Simply ask for a full product refund at any time—whether it's been 3 days or 3 months.
Sources
- Dhabhar FS. Enhancing versus suppressive effects of stress on immune function: implications for immunoprotection and immunopathology. Neuroimmunomodulation. 2009;16(5):300-317. doi:10.1159/000216188
- Cleveland Clinic. Yes, there is such a thing as stress sickness. Published December 1, 2023. Accessed June 17, 2025. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-happens-when-your-immune-system-gets-stressed-out
- Bae YS, Shin EC, Bae YS, Van Eden W. Editorial: Stress and Immunity. Front Immunol. 2019;10:245. Published 2019 Feb 14. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2019.00245
- Kox M, van Eijk LT, Zwaag J, et al. Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014;111(20):7379-7384. doi:10.1073/pnas.1322174111
- Pascoe MC, Thompson DR, Jenkins ZM, Ski CF. Mindfulness mediates the physiological markers of stress: Systematic review and meta-analysis. J Psychiatr Res. 2017;95:156-178. doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2017.08.004
- Kreitzer MJ, Telke S, Hanson L, Leininger B, Evans R. Outcomes of a Gratitude Practice in an Online Community of Caring. J Altern Complement Med. 2019;25(4):385-391. doi:10.1089/acm.2018.0460
- Gallagher S, Solano AC, Liporace MF. State, but not trait gratitude is associated with cardiovascular responses to acute psychological stress. Physiol Behav. 2020;221:112896. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112896
- Linnemann A, Ditzen B, Strahler J, Doerr JM, Nater UM. Music listening as a means of stress reduction in daily life. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2015;60:82-90. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.06.008
- Núñez MJ, Mañá P, Liñares D, et al. Music, immunity and cancer. Life Sci. 2002;71(9):1047-1057. doi:10.1016/s0024-3205(02)01796-4
- Harvard Health Publishing. 5 surprising benefits of walking. Published December 7, 2023. Accessed August 1, 2025. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/5-surprising-benefits-of-walking
- Koulivand PH, Khaleghi Ghadiri M, Gorji A. Lavender and the nervous system. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2013;2013:681304. doi:10.1155/2013/681304
- Cardia GFE, Silva-Filho SE, Silva EL, et al. Effect of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) Essential Oil on Acute Inflammatory Response. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2018;2018:1413940. Published 2018 Mar 18. doi:10.1155/2018/1413940
