Good evening, friends!  Thank you for reading the Self Help Tips Blog.  With the current economic crisis, change of seasons and weather-related issues currently facing our world, I decided tonight would be a good time for us to discuss how to reduce stress.

Stress has always been a big part of our lives.  It is becoming an all too common occurrence to hear someone complaining about how stressful his or her life has become at school, work or with family. Stressful situations happen no matter what race, nationality, education or whatever status obtained in life.  The stress tension is there no matter where you go, and you cannot just disregard this truth.

The main thing to remember in whatever we choose to do is:  there will always be inevitable factors that will cause pressure and anxiety in our lives.  What we need to focus on are the things that we can control.  Once you have learned the difference between the things that you can control and the things you have no control over, you can focus your time, energy and money in the direction of the things that you can influence.

The following list will give you some advice that you can use to handle the everyday tension caused by stress:

1. Identify what it is that is making you anxious and uneasy. Make a list of all of the things that cause you to experience stress.  Deal immediately with the things that you can change, like getting to work earlier or changing the way you handle work projects.  Then, just forget about the ones that you cannot help, like traffic, parking spaces or the things that are just a part of life.

2. Calm down and get away for a few minutes.  A few-minutes break will do you good.  You can go to the bathroom, wash your face and just start over with a new attitude.  Go reward yourself with a vending snack or early lunch if your work permits it.  Find some relaxing music to listen to on your computer while you work; anything that will give your mind a chance to relax will work.

3. It will be over before you know it.  Do not fall into a trap of being the only one who is constantly reliving the event and causing yourself more stress than is needed.  Know that it will pass and it will be over.  Think of a good thing to do that will make you feel better about yourself.

4. Always look for the cause and triggers.  Every time one happens, write it down and start to look for that common pattern.  If most are work related, it might be time to find a new job or start your own business.  If you have vacation or sick time coming, remember to take it.  There’s nothing like a day or two off to clear the mind.  Keep looking at the list and start to solve the problems that you do have control over.

In the end, there are only two choices: make a change to help with the problem, or accept it and move on with your life.  It’s as simple as that.