What are some ways that you can decrease stress?

Breathe Deeply
Feeling stressed evokes tense, shallow breathing, while calm is associated with relaxed breathing, says Michael Lee, author of Turn Stress into Bliss and founder of Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy in Bristol, Vermont. So to turn tension into relaxation, he says, change the way you breathe.
Try this: Let out a big sigh, dropping your chest, and exhaling through gently pursed lips, says Joan Borysenko, PhD, director of Harvard's Mind-Body Clinical Programs. Now imagine your low belly, or center, as a deep, powerful place. Feel your breath coming and going as your mind stays focused there. Inhale, feeling your entire belly, sides and lower back expand. Exhale, sighing again as you drop your chest, and feeling your belly, back and sides contract. Repeat 10 times, relaxing more fully each time.

Meditate

If you're thinking meditation means twisting your body into an uncomfortable position and uttering "oohs" and "omms" for an hour, guess again. Any repetitive action can be a source of meditation, says Herbert Benson, MD, author of The Relaxation Response and director emeritus of Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine in Chestnut Hill, Mass. This includes walking, swimming, painting, knitting -- any activity that helps keep your attention calmly in the present moment.

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Stress. We all deal with it. Whether it be our jobs, family life, drama with friends, a relationship problem, or finances, stress is there. While a little stress is probably good for you, it's the excess that does the harm. But there are ways of relieving it.
-Smile. Your body has a ready-made fix-it solution for when you feel overwrought and it is as simple as changing your physiology. The smile is the simplest way to do this. Plaster on a fake grin and keep it there for a few minutes. You'll feel your mood begin to upturn with your grin.
-Smile. Your body has a ready-made fix-it solution for when you feel overwrought and it is as simple as changing your physiology. The smile is the simplest way to do this. Plaster on a fake grin and keep it there for a few minutes. You'll feel your mood begin to upturn with your grin.
-Say sorry and accept responsibility. If you need to apologize to someone, and doing so will not make the situation worse, find a way to do so. More importantly, learn to forgive, particularly to forgive yourself. Guilt adds pain to stress. And accept responsibility instead of seeking to spread blame. Stress usually results from holding grudges against others long term; this hurts you, not them.

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Reach Out. A good social support system is one of the most important resources for dealing with stress. Talking to others -- preferably face-to-face or at least on the phone -- is a great way to better manage whatever is stressing you out.
Tune In to Your Body. Mentally scan your body to get a sense of how stress affects it each day. Lie on your back or sit with your feet on the floor. Start at your toes and work your way up to your scalp, noticing how your body feels.


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