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Nine Stress Management Tips

Stress is a factor in all of our lives. Stress is simply the way we react physically, mentally, and emotionally to various conditions, changes, and demands in our lives. A certain amount of stress in one’s life is good. Stress keeps us engaged, focus, and moving forward. However, too much stress can be very bad. Too much stress will detract from productivity and happiness.

Here are nine tips to help you manage your stress.

The Nine Stress Management Tips

  1. Know what stresses you most. Not your co-worker, friend, husband, or wife. YOU!! Get your feelings out. Write them out and describe each situation. Share all bad feelings with a friend or in a journal. Before you can conquer your stresses you must know what is stressing you.

  2. Say no. Focus on you own goals, not your spouse’s or parents’. You must know yourself, your dreams, and your passions. If asked to chair another group or take on another responsibility, look at your mission statement or goals for the day. If it is does not fit it there say thank you but I just cannot. Saying no is one of the hardest things in life, but will help make you a success in your chosen field.

  3. Learn to relax. Work hard but know when to take time off to be with the family, go to the beach, or read a book. Work all day if you must but when you get home play in the snow, watch cartoons, or tell your child a story. This allows stress tension to go away and helps you calm the heart’s pace and digest food normally, and protect your immune system. Learn to meditate and take deep breaths to calm down.

  4. Eat healthy. Eat less junk food and more fruit and vegetables for an amazing overall lowering of stress levels. We can actually lower the amount of the bad stress hormone, Cortisol, by taking vitamins. Take those vitamin pills daily.

  5. Keep laughing. Keep a sense of humor. Studies show a good attitude helps lower cancer rates, makes surgery more effective, and keeps a relationship together through hard times.

  6. Ask yourself WHY. Why are you doing this? Write down your wants, needs, goals, hopes, and dreams. Does what you are doing now help you get fulfill any of these things? What is your motivation? The more you understand why you doing what you are doing the less stress you will have. If you cannot come up with a good reason, then stop doing it.

  7. Stay active. Exercise is a great way to relive tension and gives you a great break from exams. A healthy body makes a happy body. Even a three minute jog is helpful at taking your mind off your pressures. You’ll come back with an acute focus and renewed energy.

  8. Follow your bliss. Try to know which subjects and type of people you enjoy. Structure your life around activities that you love. Joseph Campbell, a wise philosopher, advises you to follow your bliss. The more you do in life that goes with your own flow, the more passion you’ll have for what you do.

  9. Organize and Prioritize. Do the worst and hardest tasks first. Keep a to-do list and calendar with you at all times. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

Follow these nine steps and you’ll be well on your way to getting rid of that stress bug, recapturing your peace and sanctity, and performing better as a business person, entrepreneur, or worker.


This Personal Development article was written by Pauline Middleton on 2/14/2005

Pauline Middleton is a Stress Management Consultant residing on the west coast of Florida.