That aquarium you’re standing in front of is good for your health—so good for you, in fact, that it’s actually called aquarium therapy. Studies have shown that watching fish in a tank can reduce stress and anxiety. It’s also been found to help seniors with Alzheimer’s to eat better and children with learning disabilities to hone social skills. In fact, if there is an aquarium in your dentist or doctor’s office, it might be there for a specific reason—to help you calm down.

Most people know what a labyrinth—an intricate combination of paths—looks like. But walking through one might seem like something from the Middle Ages. In fact, labyrinth walking is very much with us today. Whether they’re made of rocks or hedges or drawn on the ground, labyrinths are beautiful to the eye and peaceful to the soul. Walking through one has a meditative, calming effect. They usually have a path that leads you in and out—and no intersections or dead ends as mazes do. Labyrinths vary in size—and may be located indoors or outdoors. To find a labyrinth in your area, go to http://LabyrinthLocator.com/home.

Put on some rhythmic music that you like—and get ready to move. Begin by standing in a relaxed position, knees slightly bent and arms at your sides. As the music begins, shake your whole body, starting with your feet and legs and moving up the body. Involve your whole body for about five to 10 minutes. Stop—and see how you feel. You will be amazed by the quiet and sense of peace that follows, according to James S. Gordon, MD, director of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, DC, and author of Unstuck (Penguin), who created this form of dynamic meditation to help people break through sadness and feel energized.

Sometimes the clutter around us is so overwhelming that getting anything done feels impossible. It ’s for these times that Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project (www.HappinessProject.com) created what she calls the “One-Minute Rule. ” If there is something you can do in a minute or less, you should do it right away without procrastinating. Open one piece of mail, clean up one corner of your desk, put the breakfast dishes in the dishwasher. By doing just one thing, you clear out a little clutter. And, as Rubin says, order on the outside contributes to calm on the inside.