There are times when it might feel like the whole world is sitting on your shoulders. When this happens, it is easy to feel unbearably overwhelmed. This is what happens when stress begins to bother us, but it doesn’t have to be this way, so here are some helpful tips that can make you start to feel better.

Stop grinding your teeth by consciously easing your jaw. There are different parts of the body that may begin to harbor tension when a person is stressed out, and the jaw is one of the most common. When your overwhelming feelings are beginning to take over, brush the index finger against the jaw, clench, then breathe in, and when you release the breath, release your jaw at the same time. You should feel an immediate release of tension.

Develop a short affirmation that you can use to focus yourself. Repeating your affirmation is a great way to silence the self-critical voice that is in our head and can add to our stress. Reassure yourself that you are competent, calm, and confident, so that you can stay calm and stress-free.

A professional massage is a great way to take some of the stress away. Mental stress is often absorbed by the body as muscle tension. A skillful massage can work out knots in your muscles, distract yoru mind from stressful thoughts and leave you feeling much more relaxed overall.

Single out your main sources of tension, and find ways to minimize or eliminate your exposure to it. For example, if one of your friends keeps creating undesirable stress and complications for you, you should figure out how to avoid this relationship. Getting rid of all the large sources of stress in your life will improve your overall attitude and health.

Don’t ever drink alcohol to settle your nerves after a long, stress-filled day. Although it’s fine to enjoy a couple of drinks with your friends from time to time, drinking beer or other alcoholic beverages every single night as a means of unwinding is detrimental for a number of reasons. This can easily push you into a downward cycle that is difficult to break.

Don’t use habits which are unhealthy as a way to deal with stress, instead find healthy, more productive ways to deal with them. If you usually eat too much when you’re stressed, for example, give exercise a try. By swapping negative methods of handling stress with healthier, more positive ones you will maintain the strength to enable you to deal with stress in your daily activities.

Spearmint oil may be quite helpful with your stress. Just dab a drop or two on your temples or neck whenever stress gets out of control. Minor luxuries like this can mean a world of difference against your stress, so give it a shot!

If you are in a relationship, go out for a romantic, candlelit dinner with the person that you love. Going out will let you focus on the great time you’re having with your significant other and not on all the things in your life that stress you out.

The moment that you notice you are extremely stressed, check your body for any clenching that you may be doing. Keep track of your lower back, shoulders, jaw and fingers. If you can figure out where your tension is located, you can make an effort to stretch those parts of the body when you start experiencing stress. By doing this, you will be able to relax and feel less tense.

Pick up a hobby and try your hand at arts and crafts to help you relieve stress. Doing any type of creative activity can get your mind off due dates and money for a bit.

Sometimes, when you are on the go, you may be moving or thinking too fast. You must, in these circumstances, slow down and put things back into perspective with controlled, deep breaths. Try to keep yourself at a reasonable pace throughout your day, so that you do not become too anxious.

An effective de-stresser is doing a special thing for another person. Do something nice with your partner or family. This will divert your attention away from your own stressful experience and the act of brightening someone’s day will work magic on both of you!

Learning what things in your life are really important to you can help to deal with stress. Prioritizing items in your life can decrease your stress so you can live a happier life.

Be careful not to drink too much caffeine in a day. Coffee can effect hormones such as adrenaline and dopamine to increase stress levels when you drink too much. Have green tea instead of coffee, since it will relieve stress instead of perpetuating it.

Listen when others are telling you instructions, and you may be able to reduce the stress in your life. Pay close attention to instructions to avoid stressful situations. Common examples include: when your boss is giving directions; when your doctor is giving advice; when a teacher or tutor is teaching.

Make sure that you do an activity daily that you enjoy. A little free time to do something you like will make it easier to deal with the day’s stresses. Pick an activity that really satisfies you, and promise yourself you’ll practice it every day.

You do not have to shoulder such a heavy load. This article has provided you with some great techniques to reduce your stress. Try to decrease your stress through relaxation, meditation and exercise.