Put your cellphone on “silent” or “vibrate” mode. Because, compared to a normal “ring” tone – or even your favorite song – a silent phone can cut our blood pressure up to 7 points in a week! That’s according to a new Italian study. The reason? Because incoming calls tend to jolt us in a way that triggers our stress response… meaning, our cortisol level rises, and our blood vessels tighten. And that response is amplified if our ears hear sound – even if it’s just bells gently tinkling. As far as our brain is concerned, that’s still as stressful as a lion sneaking up behind us and letting out a roar, because it makes us feel like we’re in danger. But you can avoid all that extra stress and, in turn, lower your blood pressure, simply by keeping your phone silent.

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