Stress is a constant part of our lives. No matter how hard you try, you cannot completely get rid of it. So the best way to approach stress is not to try and defeat it outright, but to manage it sensibly. You do this by taking steps to prevent stress from overwhelming you and negatively affecting your life. Here are several stress management techniques:

Avoid Stressful Situations

This sounds obvious, but there’s more to it than simply steering clear of traffic jams or staying away from confrontational interpersonal situations. If there are certain topics or subjects that tend to increase your stress level (such as politics, religion, or bureaucratic office policies), don’t bring them up or participate in conversations about them.

Also, learn the art of saying “no” to people who want your assistance, especially with trivial matters. Trying to help everyone and overloading your own schedule in the process is a sure way to stress you out, which will affect how you handle everything else on your to-do list.

Finally, if there are people in your life who tend to darken your mood and raise your stress level (like the office whiner or the “friend” who always seems to insult you), minimize your contact with them as much as you can. Don’t feel guilty about shutting out people who make you feel bad or trigger stressful reactions.

Increase your Activity Level

The easiest way to boost your activity level is to exercise regularly. This can involve jogging, working out at the gym, or playing on your office softball team. Even small activities, like a brisk walk around the block after work, can have a noticeable impact on your stress levels.

Exercise has been shown to release mood-enhancing chemicals in your body that make you feel better and help to reduce stress. If your health or other factors prevent you from exercising, consider yoga classes or meditation techniques. These activities can achieve much the same effects as exercise.

Strive for a Healthy Lifestyle

If you improve your overall physical health, your body is less likely to succumb to stress. Adopting a healthy lifestyle can be as straightforward as eating the right amounts of nutritious foods, eliminating cigarettes and drugs, and getting the proper amount of sleep. It’s also a good idea to minimize your intake of caffeine, sugar, and alcohol, which can alter your moods.

Improve your Time Management Skills

Taking on too much work or responsibility in too short a time period can be a big stressor in your life. If you have several stressful obligations you must address, try to space them out throughout the day instead of tackling them all at once. Try making lists and crossing off tasks as you complete them. This can help you approach your obligations in manageable steps.

Also, be sure to take breaks during busy times to help keep your stress level in check. Even if these breaks are only five or ten minutes long, that’s enough time to get some fresh air, talk to a co-worker, or simply think about something other than your workload.

Finally, try to schedule in time for contingencies that often crop up during the day. That may mean waking up a bit earlier to avoid rushing to get to work on time, or planning for the afternoon meeting in the morning so you will be prepared should unforeseen problems arise at the last minute.

Schedule Time for Relaxation

Don’t just dive into a day hoping that leisure time will just materialize on its own. Block out time in your schedule for some sort of relaxing activity, perhaps right after you get home or just before you go to bed. Simple pleasures such as playing with your pet, reading the newspaper, taking a bath, or sipping on a cup of tea will go a long way toward shaking off the stress that you built up during the day.

Find a Hobby

You’ve heard the cliché about all work and no play — but in this case, work means “daily obligations,” and play means “time for yourself.” Find something that suits your interests, such as scrapbooking, coin collecting, auto refurbishing, or cooking. Even basic activities like checking social network sites, reading, or recording and watching your favorite TV shows can get your mind off the stressful aspects of your life and give you something to look forward to during a busy day.

Vent

Don’t try to keep all your stress inside. If you feel yourself being overwhelmed by stress, it may be necessary to call or seek out a spouse, friend, or co-worker to get some things off your chest. Doing this helps relieve pressure and calm your nerves, thus reducing stress. If you feel uncomfortable about burdening someone else with your problems, consider setting up an ongoing arrangement where you agree to listen to another person vent if he or she promises to do the same for you.

Keep Things in Perspective

When you set standards for yourself, make sure they are realistic. Don’t try to be all things to all people. Try not to focus on what others think about you. And constantly remind yourself about the truly important things in your life. Using these strategies to sharpen your focus will help reduce your baseline stress level.

These easy strategies can diminish stress and lessen the chances of stress-related problems. If you are still stressed out even after trying these methods, you may want to consider seeking counseling or checking out individual or group therapy sessions to help you develop strategies to cope with stress. The last thing you want to have happen is to allow your stress to snowball until it causes major problems in your life.
Chris Martin is a freelance writer who writes about self improvement and stress management http://healthcoach.myselfhelp.com/programs/stress-management.html.