Aim to eat many fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Some people may deal with stress with unhealthy habits.

These may include drinking too much caffeine or alcohol, smoking, eating too much, or using illegal substances.

These habits can harm your health and increase your stress levels. During meditation, you focus your attention and quiet the stream of jumbled thoughts that may be crowding your mind and causing stress. Meditation can give you a sense of calm, peace and balance that can help both your emotional well-being and your overall health.

Meditation can empower us to enhance our well-being. You can practice guided meditation, guided imagery, mindfulness, visualization and other forms of meditation anywhere at any time. For example, you could meditate when you're out for a walk, riding the bus to work or waiting at your health care provider's office.

Try an app to show you how to do these exercises. And you can try deep breathing anywhere. A good sense of humor can't cure all ailments. But it can help you feel better, even if you have to force a fake laugh through your grumpiness.

When you laugh, it lightens your mental load. It also causes positive physical changes in the body. Laughter fires up and then cools down your stress response. So read some jokes, tell some jokes, watch a comedy or hang out with your funny friends.

Or give laughter yoga a try. When you're stressed and irritable, you may want to isolate yourself. Instead, reach out to family and friends and make social connections.

Even one good friend who listens can make a difference. Social contact is a good stress reliever because it can offer distraction, give support, and help you put up with life's up and downs. So take a coffee break with a friend, email a relative or visit your place of worship. You might want to do it all, but you can't, at least not without paying a price.

Learning to say no or being willing to delegate can help you manage your to-do list and your stress. Healthy boundaries are important in a wellness journey. Everyone has physical and emotional limits. Saying yes may seem like an easy way to keep the peace, prevent conflicts and get the job done right.

But instead, it may cause you inner conflict because your needs and those of your family come second. Putting yourself second can lead to stress, anger, resentment and even the wish to take revenge.

And that's not a very calm and peaceful reaction. Remember, you're a priority. With its series of postures and breathing exercises, yoga is a popular stress reliever. Yoga brings together physical and mental disciplines that may help you reach peace of body and mind. Yoga can help you relax and ease stress and anxiety.

Try yoga on your own or find a class — you can find classes in many areas. Hatha yoga, especially, is a good stress reliever because of its slower pace and easier movements.

Stress can cause you to have trouble falling asleep. When you have too much to do — and too much to think about — your sleep can suffer. But sleep is the time when your brain and body recharge. Most adults need about 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night.

And how well and how long you sleep can affect your mood, energy level, focus and overall functioning. If you have sleep troubles, make sure that you have a quiet, relaxing bedtime routine.

For example, listen to soothing music, make sure the area you sleep in is cool, dark and quiet, put phones and tablets away, and stick to a regular schedule. Writing down your thoughts and feelings can be a good release for otherwise pent-up feelings.

Don't think about what to write — let it happen. Write anything that comes to mind. No one else needs to read it.

So don't aim for perfect grammar or spelling. Deal with problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them.

Find balance. All work and no play is a recipe for burnout. Try to find a balance between work and family life, social activities and solitary pursuits, daily responsibilities and downtime. If you can't change the stressor, change yourself. You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude.

Reframe problems. Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective. Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or enjoy some alone time.

Look at the big picture. Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year? Is it really worth getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere.

Adjust your standards. Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress. Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection.

Practice gratitude. When stress is getting you down, take a moment to reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life , including your own positive qualities and gifts. This simple strategy can help you keep things in perspective. Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You can't prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession.

In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it's easier than railing against a situation you can't change. Don't try to control the uncontrollable.

Many things in life are beyond our control, particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems.

Look for the upside. When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes. Learn to forgive. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes.

Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on. Share your feelings. Expressing what you're going through can be very cathartic, even if there's nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation.

Talk to a trusted friend or make an appointment with a therapist. When you're stressed, the last thing you probably feel like doing is getting up and exercising. But physical activity is a huge stress reliever—and you don't have to be an athlete or spend hours in a gym to experience the benefits.

Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel good, and it can also serve as a valuable distraction from your daily worries.

While you'll get the most benefit from regularly exercising for 30 minutes or more, it's okay to build up your fitness level gradually. Even very small activities can add up over the course of a day. The first step is to get yourself up and moving. Here are some easy ways to incorporate exercise into your daily schedule:.

While just about any form of physical activity can help burn away tension and stress, rhythmic activities are especially effective. Good choices include walking, running, swimming, dancing, cycling, tai chi, and aerobics. But whatever you choose, make sure it's something you enjoy so you're more likely to stick with it.

While you're exercising, make a conscious effort to pay attention to your body and the physical and sometimes emotional sensations you experience as you're moving. Focus on coordinating your breathing with your movements, for example, or notice how the air or sunlight feels on your skin.

Adding this mindfulness element will help you break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that often accompanies overwhelming stress.

There is nothing more calming than spending quality time with another human being who makes you feel safe and understood. It's nature's natural stress reliever as an added bonus, it also helps stave off depression and anxiety.

So make it a point to connect regularly—and in person—with family and friends. Keep in mind that the people you talk to don't have to be able to fix your stress. They simply need to be good listeners.

And try not to let worries about looking weak or being a burden keep you from opening up. The people who care about you will be flattered by your trust.

It will only strengthen your bond. Of course, it's not always realistic to have a pal close by to lean on when you feel overwhelmed by stress, but by building and maintaining a network of close friends you can improve your resiliency to life's stressors. Don't get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs.

Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you'll be in a better place to handle life's stressors. Set aside leisure time. Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries.

Do something you enjoy every day. Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike.

Keep your sense of humor. This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways. Take up a relaxation practice. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing activate the body's relaxation response , a state of restfulness that is the opposite of the fight or flight or mobilization stress response.

As you learn and practice these techniques, your stress levels will decrease and your mind and body will become calm and centered. Feeling emotional and nervous or having trouble sleeping and eating can all be normal reactions to stress.

Here are some healthy ways you can deal with stress:. Check out Taking Care of Your Emotional Health for more information and resources. Taking care of yourself can better equip you to take care of others. Helping others cope with stress through phone calls or video chats can help you and your loved ones feel less lonely or isolated.

Children and youth often struggle with how to cope with stress. Youth can be particularly overwhelmed when their stress is connected to a traumatic event—like a natural disaster, family loss, school shootings, or community violence.

Parents, caregivers, and educators can take steps to provide stability and support that help young people feel better. Tips for Parents and Caregivers It is natural for children to worry when scary or stressful events happen in their lives. Talking to your children about these events can help put frightening information into a more balanced setting.

Monitor what children see and hear about stressful events happening in their lives. Here are some suggestions to help children cope:. Tips for Kids and Teens After a traumatic event, it is normal to feel anxious about your safety and security. Even if you were not directly involved, you may worry about whether this type of event may someday affect you.

Check out the tips below for some ideas to help deal with these fears.

You probably already know that excessive stress is associated with poor physical and mental fitness. One study even found that stress can be as bad for you as smoking five cigarettes per day. Burnout is a result of prolonged stress.

According to Gallup, 8 out of 10 employees experience burnout at least some of the time. But while we tend to associate burnout with work, it can also be caused by other extended stressful situations, such as caring for an elderly parent. According to the American Heart Association, stress can have serious long-term health consequences.

When your stress response activates, your heart rate is higher than normal. This increase is not a problem if it only lasts a short time. But when stress dominates your everyday life, it can put pressure on your heart. It detracts vital energy from processes and systems, such as the digestive and reproductive systems.

It can also affect your endocrine system, which is responsible for your hormonal health. This can create imbalances in your body that lead to health problems and disease. Home should be a sanctuary. But they can actually be one of the most significant sources of stress in our lives.

For example, you might struggle with a relationship with a family member or neighbor, financial problems, or your daily routine. If you feel that someone in your home is mistreating you, speak up for yourself. Let them know how their behavior is affecting you. Communicating the problem will help you find a solution and reduce your stress.

This solution will reduce the stress the problem is causing you. Humans love to problem-solve , so it will also give you a sense of satisfaction.

If your outer world is chaotic, it can create disorder in your mind and make you feel more stressed. Having a clean and tidy home helps maintain mental balance and reduce stress by giving us a sense of control over our lives.

If possible, find a space in your home where you can be alone and dedicate time to yourself. And because it can affect your work performance and other areas of your life, reducing stress at work is more important than ever. You can use these four stress management techniques at work:.

Knowing your job expectations is fundamental for fulfilling your role at work. Being unsure of the requirements can cause stress. Ask for clarification from your supervisor whenever you need it.

Multitasking reduces your effectiveness at work. Not only that, but it makes us feel more stressed and more likely to drop the ball on something. Workplace conflict can be a major source of stress. Minimize potential conflicts by avoiding controversial topics such as politics, religion, or gossip.

The discomfort caused by inadequate chairs or desks, annoying noises, and even clothing can make you feel stressed. Interpersonal relationships are complicated and can be a huge source of stress.

High levels of stress in one or both partners can affect their ability to communicate effectively and manage conflict. If left unaddressed, this often causes stress in the relationship.

Try to remove external stressors if possible. If not, look for ways to manage stress individually to avoid impacting the relationship. When there is a problem in one aspect of a relationship, it can spread to other areas and become a source of stress.

It can be hard to find time for yourself in a close relationship, which can cause you to feel suffocated and stressed. Learning to communicate effectively and constructively can reduce conflicts and stress. Sometimes you need to find a way to reduce your stress levels quickly.

Keep these four stress management techniques in your back pocket for the next time you face a stressful situation:. This simple act allows you to clear your head, calm down, and approach the situation from a different perspective. Taking a few deep breaths can help instantly relieve stress.

Make sure you breathe into your belly as shallow breathing signals to the body that the stress response is still required. You might find it helpful to learn some breathing exercises from an experienced teacher. Keep these exercises on hand and use them whenever you feel stressed. Spending time on social media sites can become stressful, not only by what you might see on them, but also because the time might best be spent enjoying visiting with friends, being outside enjoying the weather or reading a great book.

In addition, many people use social media at night, which may worsen sleep due to increased stress at the exact time people are trying to wind down for the evening, resulting in fewer overall hours of quality sleep.

Humans are social beings. You need to have connections with people to feel supported. Finding a sense of community, whether at work, with a religious organization or through shared activities, such as organized sports, is important to your well-being. Enjoying a shared activity allows you to find support and foster relationships that can be supportive in difficult times.

Brian Hesler, M. Skip to main content. Posted By. Recent Posts. Speaking of Health. You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude. Reframe problems. Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective. Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or enjoy some alone time.

Look at the big picture. Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year? Is it really worth getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere.

Adjust your standards. Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress. Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. Practice gratitude. When stress is getting you down, take a moment to reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life , including your own positive qualities and gifts.

This simple strategy can help you keep things in perspective. Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You can't prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession.

In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it's easier than railing against a situation you can't change.

Don't try to control the uncontrollable. Many things in life are beyond our control, particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems.

Look for the upside. When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes. Learn to forgive. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes.

Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on. Share your feelings. Expressing what you're going through can be very cathartic, even if there's nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation.

Talk to a trusted friend or make an appointment with a therapist. When you're stressed, the last thing you probably feel like doing is getting up and exercising. But physical activity is a huge stress reliever—and you don't have to be an athlete or spend hours in a gym to experience the benefits.

Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel good, and it can also serve as a valuable distraction from your daily worries.

While you'll get the most benefit from regularly exercising for 30 minutes or more, it's okay to build up your fitness level gradually. Even very small activities can add up over the course of a day. The first step is to get yourself up and moving.

Here are some easy ways to incorporate exercise into your daily schedule:. While just about any form of physical activity can help burn away tension and stress, rhythmic activities are especially effective. Good choices include walking, running, swimming, dancing, cycling, tai chi, and aerobics.

But whatever you choose, make sure it's something you enjoy so you're more likely to stick with it. While you're exercising, make a conscious effort to pay attention to your body and the physical and sometimes emotional sensations you experience as you're moving. Focus on coordinating your breathing with your movements, for example, or notice how the air or sunlight feels on your skin.

Adding this mindfulness element will help you break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that often accompanies overwhelming stress. There is nothing more calming than spending quality time with another human being who makes you feel safe and understood. It's nature's natural stress reliever as an added bonus, it also helps stave off depression and anxiety.

So make it a point to connect regularly—and in person—with family and friends. Keep in mind that the people you talk to don't have to be able to fix your stress. They simply need to be good listeners. And try not to let worries about looking weak or being a burden keep you from opening up.

The people who care about you will be flattered by your trust. It will only strengthen your bond. Of course, it's not always realistic to have a pal close by to lean on when you feel overwhelmed by stress, but by building and maintaining a network of close friends you can improve your resiliency to life's stressors.

Don't get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you'll be in a better place to handle life's stressors.

Set aside leisure time. Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries. Do something you enjoy every day. Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike.

Keep your sense of humor. This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways. Take up a relaxation practice. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing activate the body's relaxation response , a state of restfulness that is the opposite of the fight or flight or mobilization stress response.

As you learn and practice these techniques, your stress levels will decrease and your mind and body will become calm and centered. Poor time management can cause a lot of stress.

When you're stretched too thin and running behind, it's hard to stay calm and focused. Plus, you'll be tempted to avoid or cut back on all the healthy things you should be doing to keep stress in check, like socializing and getting enough sleep.

The good news: there are things you can do to achieve a healthier work-life balance. Don't over-commit yourself.