Handle Stress

☛ Perform diaphragmatic or "deep breathing" exercises.

☛ Lie face down on the floor and begin breathing deeply and slowly, with your hands resting under your face. Do this for five minutes.

☛ Sit in a reclining chair. Put a hand on your abdomen and a hand on your chest. As you breathe, make sure the hand on your abdomen is moving up and down rather than one on your chest. If the hand on your abdomen is moving you are breathing deeply and slowly.

☛ Try progressive muscle relaxation or "deep muscle" relaxation. Progressively tense and relax each muscle group in your body. Learn the difference between muscle tension and relaxation.

☛ Meditate. Use visualization or guided imagery to help you learn to be one with your thoughts. Sit quietly with your eyes closed, imagining the sights, sounds and smells of your favorite place, such as a beach or mountain retreat.

☛ Exercise regularly or take up yoga.

☛ Consult a psychologist about the use of biofeedback.

☛ Make time for music, art or other hobbies that help relax and distract you.

☛ Learn to identify and monitor stressors. Come up with an organized plan for handling stressful situations. Be careful not to overgeneralize negative reactions to things.

☛ Make a list of the important things you need to handle each day. Try to follow the list so you feel organized and on top of things. Put together a coping plan step by step so you have a sense of mastery.

☛ Keep an eye on things that might suggest you're not coping well. For example, are you smoking or drinking more, or sleeping less?

☛ Keep a list of the large and little hassles in your day versus the major stressful events in your life. This helps you focus on the fact that you're keeping track of and managing those as well as you can.

☛ Set aside a time every day to work on relaxation.

☛ Avoid using caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, junk food, binge eating and other drugs as your primary means for coping with stress. While they can be helpful once in awhile, using them as your only or usual method will result in longer-term problems, such as weight problems or alcoholism.

☛ Do your best. Instead of aiming for perfection, which isn't possible, be proud of however close you get.

☛ Accept that you cannot control everything. Put your stress in perspective: Is it really as bad as you think?

☛ Welcome humor. A good laugh goes a long way.

☛ Maintain a positive attitude. Make an effort to replace negative thoughts with positive ones.

☛ Get involved. Volunteer or find another way to be active in your community, which creates a support network and gives you a break from everyday stress.

☛ Learn what triggers your anxiety. Is it work, family, school, or something else you can identify? Write in a journal when you're feeling stressed or anxious, and look for a pattern.

☛ Talk to someone. Tell friends and family you're feeling overwhelmed, and let them know how they can help you. Talk to a physician or therapist for professional help.

☛ 5 X 30: Jog, walk, bike, or dance three to five times a week for 30 minutes.

☛ Set small daily goals and aim for daily consistency rather than perfect workouts. It's better to walk every day for 15-20 minutes than to wait until the weekend for a three-hour fitness marathon. Lots of scientific data suggests that frequency is most important.

☛ Find forms of exercise that are fun or enjoyable. Extroverted people often like classes and group activities. People who are more introverted often prefer solo pursuits.

☛ Distract yourself with an iPod or other portable media player to download audio books, pod-casts, or music. Many people find it's more fun to exercise while listening to something they enjoy.

☛ Recruit an "exercise buddy." It's often easier to stick to your exercise routine when you have to stay committed to a friend, partner, or colleague.

☛ Be patient when you start a new exercise program. Most sedentary people require about four to eight weeks to feel coordinated and sufficiently in shape so that exercise feels easier.