I've become obsessed over stress.

I just know it's the cause of the dark bags under my eyes. But what's going on inside my body has me more concerned.

According to the National Institutes of Health, stress jacks up my immune system. If it continues too long, it actually makes it harder for wounds to heal. Maybe that's the reason for the persistent blister on my heel?

The same stress hormones -- cortisol and catecholamines -- also can burn out the brain, the experts think. Studies have shown people under lots of stress have worse memories and a harder time focusing. Wow, that explains a lot.

It's also known that stress isn't good on the heart. Blood pressure and cholesterol levels rise. There's evidence stress causes heart disease and stroke. Definitely time to schedule that annual physical I've been putting off.

But in the meantime, adopting some stress reducing strategies could help.

The NIH offers these tips for coping with stress:

• Get enough sleep.
• Exercise and control your diet.
• Build a social support network.
• Create peaceful times in your day.
• Try different relaxation methods until you find one that works for you.
• Don't smoke.
• Don't drink too much or abuse any other substances.