Stress does not have to run your life. Don’t let stress limit your expectations. Accepting defeat and allowing stress to control your life will have many negative effects, both now and later. The tips that you’re about to read are going to give you ways to help reduce your everyday stress levels.

Make a point to cut out excess stress in your life. Stress is a major contributor to aches and pains, depression, insomnia, ulcers, cardiac arrest, high blood pressure, stroke and more. Aim to get the right amount of sleep each night to help avoid some of your stress and stay healthy.

TIP! Use a ten point system to rate the things that give you stress in your life. Let “1” represent a small problem, and let “10” represent a real catastrophe.

Think about calmness when stress starts to overwhelm you. Try to imagine yourself in a hot shower or bath and watch as a wave of relaxation washes your stress down the drain. You can also try deep breathing techniques while closing your eyes and envisioning a peaceful scene, such as a spring meadow, the sun setting over the ocean, a snow-capped mountain range, or any other calming vista.

Everyone needs positive thoughts in their life. Create your own by coming up with a positive, short phrase called an affirmation that you can use daily. By repeating this affirmation you can quiet your self-critical voice that adds to your stress. State to yourself that you are capable, you are relaxed, and anything else you need to say in order to calm down.

While it may not seem so, some settings and actitivites may cause more stress than you realize. While playing a computer game may seem like a stress relief tactic, if you play for too long, you may be reducing the time you have available to complete important tasks. This will actually cause more stress. This time could be better used for sleeping, or enjoying a healthy meal.

TIP! Calming scents can melt the stress away. Certain things can be soothing when you smell them.

There are many factors that cause stress, so you first need to find what is causing these feelings. Should it be something that can be taken out of your life, it may be a good idea to remove it. Once you remove what is causing you stress, it will feel as if a weight has been lifted from your shoulders.

While you may feel quite tense, you should not turn to alcohol for a quick fix. Drinking in moderation every now and again is a fine idea, but drinking a beer every night to deal with stress is a bad idea. Alcohol is a depressant, and can lead to more stress and eventually addiction.

The earthy hobby of gardening is a great stress reliever. People who are lucky enough to live in a house can start gardening in their own front or back yard.

TIP! While it may seem an impossible dream to have a stress free life, it is more achievable than you think. Think about times that you have felt stress and figure out what caused it.

Drinking some tea is an excellent way to reduce stress. Green or black teas infused with chamomile, honey, or lemon are effective at reducing stress. Allow the tea to steep for at least 10 minutes to fully maximize their strength. Find a relaxing tea you like and drink it first thing in the morning and just before you go to bed.

Spearmint oil may be quite helpful with your stress. Apply a few drops of oil on your neck and temples if you feel stressed. It is small things like this that will play a big role in reducing your stress level; give it a try!

A carefully cultivated daydream can be a welcome reprieve from stress. Allow your mind to drift into a place and time of fantasy. This escapism exercise is a great way to get through stressful situations.

TIP! If you are currently relying on unhealthy vices to manage your stress, you must be willing to replace them with beneficial, productive behaviors. Over-eating, for example, can easily be turned into a quick walk or a few push-ups as a means of combating stress.

Apply the insights gained here in order to effectively control stress in your life. By reducing your daily stress, you will live longer and be happier. Apply these stress-relieving techniques on a daily basis to make yourself into a less anxious person.