When you’re in a hurricane of stress, it’s hard to listen to advice and even harder to make good choices. Making decisions with a calm brain is better for both your physical and your mental health.

Remember, your conscious brain knows only what you tell it, so it always agrees with you. It doesn’t always know the difference between fantasy and reality and can be extremely persuasive at talking you into things.

Make healthy food choices consistently and soon you’ll be craving “good for you” foods instead of empty calories and sugar-laden snacks. Bad food choices lead to cravings that are hard to ignore.

Two easy ways to distract your brain and trigger your parasympathetic nervous system to stimulate calm: chew gum or suck on ice cubes. (Both increase salivation—part of the digestive process.) For a double treat, make the ice cubes out of chamomile tea. The tea has a calming effect on your mind and the cold has a calming effect on your body. (Let the ice melt instead of chewing it—it’s better for your teeth.)