When we’re upset or overwhelmed, we may inadvertently turn to activities or habits that can spike our stress, not soothe it.

Below, two experts reveal what doesn’t reduce stress and why — and what really does.

Watching TV

“Many of us — myself included — tend to unwind after a long or stressful day by spacing out in front of the TV,” said Carla Naumburg, Ph.D, LICSW, a clinical social worker and writer who pens the Psych Central blog “Mindful Parenting.”

However, what we typically watch — the evening news, suspenseful dramas — can boost our body’s levels of stress hormones, “even if we’re not aware of it.”

You can read the rest of this article by Margarita Tartakovsky over on PsychCentral.com.