1. Focus on the Big Picture

If you get caught in with spending time with small and unimportant tasks, you will feel more stressed and wonder why you didn’t accomplish what you needed to do that day. These smaller and less important tasks create a stressed state of mind. Instead, focus on the priorities and do the tasks that are the MOST important ones first.

2. Smile!

Make the effort to smile – it works. A signal is sent to our brain, which makes us more cheerful.

3. Your Attitude

Choose a positive attitude. This is a choice – we can choose to be positive or negative in our attitude. Choosing a negative attitude will make you tired and stressed out at the end of the day. Start your day with a positive mindset, and carry that attitude through the day.

4. Exercise

Exercising regularly will make you more relaxed, as well as more energized. Your brain will get a break too, and you will feel better as a result.

5. Live a Healthy Lifestyle

Eat more fruits, chicken, fish, veggies, yogurt and FRESH food. Junk food will sap your energy. Fresh quality food brings you energy and is a key to successful and stress-free lifestyle.

There are a number of things that will influence your ability to tolerate stress. First of all, what is your sense of control? Do you have the confidence in yourself that you can persevere? What about your attitude? Do you have a positive or negative attitude? People who can handle stress well tend to have a positive or optimistic outlook on life. How well are you able to handle your emotions? If you do not know how to calm and soothe yourself during difficult situations, you are more likely to become overloaded with stress. Do you have a strong network of friends and family to support you? People with friends and family they can lean on often do not become overwhelmed with stress. The more lonely and isolated you are from others, the more likely you are to have a lot of stress.

It is really important that you can tell when you have too much stress to handle. Stress can really creep up on you. Stress will affect all aspects of your life. There are different ways that people respond to stress. One is when you are overly emotional and can’t sit still. You have a lot of nervous energy. A second is when you become withdrawn or depressed. You tend to show little energy or emotion. The third response is a tense and frozen response in which you freeze and are unable to do anything. Inside you feel very upset and agitated.

Internal causes of stress may include negative self-talk, having unrealistic expectations, being a perfectionist, not being able to be assertive, a pessimistic attitude, and an inability to accept uncertainty. Here are some common events that cause many people stress: speaking in public, being under deadline pressure, helping family and friends through relationship trouble, complaining about bad service, changes at work.

Now for some people, these events cause little to no stress, while for others, they cause nearly unbearable stress. Some of the most stressful life events include the death of a spouse, divorce, separation from marriage, jail, the death of a close family member, being injured or ill, marriage issues, being fired from your job, reconciling your marriage, and retirement. These events will significantly spike your stress levels.

Stress is a physical response to particular events that cause you to feel threatened or upset your normal balance. The danger your body feels can be real or imagined, and it causes the stress response, or the “Fight or Flight” reaction. This is the body’s way of protecting you. When you are in an emergency situation, stress can save you. Examples include causing you to slam your brakes or giving you more strength so you can defend yourself against danger. Stress keeps you on your toes and sharpens your senses, but at a certain point, it can be damaging to your health, mood, productivity, relationships, and your overall quality of life.