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How to reduce stress ?
most of the details are from http://www.wikihow.com/Reduce-Stress



Reflect on your stress

1. Identify the causes of your stress. Before you can move forward, you need to be able to identify the causes of your stress. Take some time to be alone, take a notepad, and list all of the things that are making you stressed. Once you have a better sense of what is causing your pain, you can begin to make better changes.

  • First, look for root causes of your stress. You may think you're stressed because of your low salary, but the real root cause may be that you don't like your job and don't know what career path to pursue in your life.
  • Take a look at your relationships. Are the relationships in your life helping you be a better person and to cope with problems, or causing more harm than good?
  • See if you're stressed because of situation or if you're in a permanent state of stress. If you're stressed because you can't stand your roommates, then it's different from always being in a vague stressed state from morning until night.
  • If it helps, write down your thoughts in a journal. See if this helps you identify any of the causes of your stress.


2. Make a game plan to reduce the stress in your life. You won't be able to reduce stress if you're not methodical about it. If you're really determined to eliminate the stress in your life, then you have to make a list of all the things you can actually control and make more pleasant, and take action to have a more relaxed mental and physical state on a regular basis. Here's what to do:

  • Plug relaxation into your schedule. Make time to relax for at least an hour each day, especially in the morning and in the evening before bed. Write it into your planner.
  • Vow to eliminate as many sources of stress as you can. Write down the people and situations in your life that bring you the most stress and find a way to spend less time with them.
  • Declutter your schedule. One reason that many people are stressed is because they feel overcommitted and like they don't have enough time to pursue their interests or spend time with their loved ones. See if you can find a way to free up just a few hours each week.
  • Recognize that you can't control everything. There will always be stressful elements in your life, but you can minimize the stress in your life by eliminating what you can and learning to deal with the rest.

3. Reflect with the help of others. You don't have to deal with your stress alone. You'll feel much better if you open up to a friend, family member, or even a professional about how stressed you're feeling. If you share your feelings, you'll also be able to get some helpful feedback as well as a fresh perspective on your problems.


  • Talk to a close friend about your attempts to reduce stress. It's likely that your friend has also had to cope with stress, so you'll not only be able to open up, but you'll gain some insight as well.
  • Open up to a family member. Your family should be there no matter what -- even if you feel like a big ball of stress.
  • Know when to get help. If you constantly feel completely overwhelmed by every aspect of your life and unprepared to deal with it, then you may benefit from seeing a health professional. If you're so stressed that you can barely sleep, eat, or think straight, it's time to seek help.

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MINIMIZE THE STRESS IN YOUR LIFE

  1. Minimize your interactions with people who make you stress
  2. Address stressful situations
  3. Minimize the stressful situations in your life
  4. Minimize the stress in your life by learning to deal with it. 

  • Think before you speak. If you find yourself in the middle of a conflict, take a deep breath and plan out what you're going to say before you blurt out something you'll regret later.
  • Remember that it's better to be happy than to be right. Instead of telling your friends or coworkers exactly what they did wrong, hold your tongue and you'll feel better and more mature.
  • Remember that other people are stressed, too. Taking the time to see that you're not the only person dealing with a large amount of stress will make you feel more kind toward others and less likely to get into a conflict.
  • Don't be passive-aggressive. If something is stressing you out, like unresolved plans, talk about it instead of holding your anger and uncertainty inside.

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Relax Your Body

  1. 1
    Exercise. Just 30 to 45 minutes of exercise every other day can make you feel much healthier and in control of your own life. If your body feels energized and powerful, then you'll be less stressed and will have more control over your own life. Here are some great ways to exercise:
    • Join a pool and swim a mile every other day. Immersing yourself in water will make you feel stronger and will wash away any of your stressful thoughts.
    • Take up running. If you really love it and have a goal of running a 5K or 10K, you will feel more capable of tackling challenges.
    • Take a yoga class. Yoga is not only great for you physically, but it will help you meditate and be in control of your mind and breathing.
    • Join a team sport, like bowling, volleyball, or softball. You'll be able to laugh while making friends and getting a great workout.
    • Take up hiking. You'll feel less stressed if you spend more time in nature.
  2. 2
    Meditate. Meditating for just 20 minutes a day can reduce your stress greatly. All you have to do is find a comfortable seat in a quiet place, put your hands in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing. Mediate right after you wake up, to cool down before bed, or even both times.
    • Be aware. Focus on being present in your body, and notice every breath and small ache you feel.
    • Relax every part of your body when you meditate.
    • Work on clearing your mind of any negative or stressful thoughts.
  3. 3
    Get a massage. A massage is a great way to relax and to minimize the pain you may feel after a long day of work or school. You can give yourself a massage by massaging your neck, forearms, and palms, ask a friend to give you a massage, or even go to a professional masseuse.
    • A professional masseuse can be pricey, but well worth it. A masseuse will literally be able to knead some of the stress out of your body.
    • Massaging is also great foreplay. If you have a willing significant other, ask him to massage your feet or back, and see where it takes you.
  4. Eat well. Maintaining the right diet is the key to reducing stress. You may be stressed because you're overdosing on caffeine or eating way too many sweets or salty foods without even noticing it. If you want to reduce the stress in your life, then you should pay particular attention to your diet.
    • Eat a healthy breakfast. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, so take the time to eat healthy carbs like oatmeal, proteins like lean turkey or ham, and a healthy portion of fruits and vegetables.
    • Make time for healthy snacks throughout the day. Carry an apple, banana, or bag of almonds with you so you snack on these instead of something that makes you feel unhealthy and tired in a pinch.
    • Minimize your caffeine intake. Caffeine may give you a temporary boost of energy, but it will also make you agitated and anxious. Try to cut down from a few cups of coffee a day to just one, or to eliminate the caffeine in your life all together. Remember that it's easier to wean yourself off caffeine than to stop cold turkey, or you will feel a painful hangover effect.
  5. 5
    Improve your sleep schedule. Improving your sleep schedule will go a long way in helping you reduce stress. Most people should get 7-9 hours of sleep a day to get a healthy night's sleep and to be able to deal with their daily lives as adequately as possible. Sleeping too much or not enough can make you feel groggy and unable to deal with your responsibilities. Here's how to make sure you sleep well:
    • Try to get the same amount of sleep every night. Don't sleep five hours a day during the week and then sleep ten hours a day on weekends, or you will feel even more unbalanced and tired.
    • Go to bed and wake up around the same time every day. This will make your routine even more regular, and will make it easier for you to go to bed and wake up.
    • Spend an hour decompressing in bed before you actually go to sleep. Read or listen to calming music, or write in your journal. Don't watch TV or get in an intense conversation, or it will be harder to shut your mind off when the time comes.

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TIPS

  • Laugh more.
  • Lay a hot towel on your neck and put cucumbers on your eyes. Ahh....
  • Ask your boss if you can take a few minutes away from your desk if you're feeling stressed. Take a walk or go get a coffee down the road.
  • If you have kids, put them to sleep or have someone watch them, and relax in another room.
  • Simply lying down can help reduce stress.







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