Cortisol

Because I'm practicing mindfulness with eating, it's becoming even more clear to me that I make bad food choices when I'm tired or when I'm stressed.

So, how can I reduce stress? What small lifestyle change can I implement today, that I can continue, that will help me reduce stress?

A quick search of "Vagus nerve and Cortisol" led me to this article which talks about the Vagus nerve:

 IT INITIATES YOUR BODY'S RELAXATION RESPONSE.
When your ever-vigilant sympathetic nervous system revs up the fight or flight responses—pouring the stress hormone cortisol and adrenaline into your body—the vagus nerve tells your body to chill out by releasing acetylcholine. The vagus nerve’s tendrils extend to many organs, acting like fiber-optic cables that send instructions to release enzymes and proteins like prolactin, vasopressin, and oxytocin, which calm you down. People with a stronger vagus response may be more likely to recover more quickly after stress, injury, or illness. 

I know that the breathing exercises help reduce my overall life stress, but how can I reduce the stress in the moment?

This articles give 6 ways, but I don't want to wash my face in cold water so I'm going to choose Humming.

My Level Up goal of the day is to hum one song after 4:00 pm, because that's when I start feeling stressed and tired. I'm also going to snuggle my dogs, because hugging a dog always brings me peace.