by Matt Bird

Created on: June 02, 2009   Last Updated: June 29, 2009

Unless you live the life of a prince or princess and have people waiting on you hand and foot, you probably have to put up with a certain amount of stress. Some of it is tolerable; some may even make your time on this planet worth living, as a stressful job feels all the better once it's over with. You've accomplished something through a certain amount of grit, and you feel a thousand times better once it's over.

But stress doesn't always go away. Sometimes it lingers for a long time, and that kind of stress isn't only annoying, it can have some very bad effects on your health. But don't despair: though you probably can't completely banish it, there are ways of reducing your stress to more tolerable levels. Here are just a few of them.

- Read. Reading forces you to concentrate on something else, whether it's a light story or some heavy non-fiction, and take your mind off whatever's troubling you.

- Exercise. Gives you a chance to vent your frustrations in a way that will probably leave your body feeling better than ever. Exercise may be tough, but it'll give your ego a little boost when you look at your muscles in the mirror.

- Listen to music. This works well in conjunction with most other stress-relieving activities. If you want to relax, listen to some light stuff, possibly classical; or, if you need the motivation to power through your stress and emerge victorious on the other side, try something energizing and fast-paced. Just don't listen to anything depressing and your genre choices will remain up to you.

- Go for a walk. A nice, stress-free stroll in the woods is an excellent way of peeling stressful layers from yourself. You'll concentrate on all the life around you and quickly forget all about your worries.

- Play video games. Need a way to vent but too lazy to exercise? Try blowing the heads off some enemy soldiers. Video games provide the same outlet as reading, forcing you to concentrate on other objectives beyond whatever's stressing you out to intolerable levels.

- Talk. Go out with friends and do something. Whatever it is, it's better than stewing at home thinking about your problems. (Well, most of the time, anyway.)

- Take up a new hobby. Doesn't matter what it is, you're giving yourself a new chance to learn something beyond what's currently occupying your brain.

- Take a vacation. Not as easy and more costly than other options, but vacations are incredible stress-reducers. Spend a few days far away from the difficulties of life and keep your brain equally distant from concerns.

- And, one of my favorites, crawl in bed. Stress can't hold a candle to blissful unconsciousness.

Does it feel like the stress will never go away? Don't worry. Everything will fall back into place, if only a little bit, by the time you wake up tomorrow. Don't take life too seriously, be sure to partake of your share of fun and the stress will move from a major opponent to a mild annoyance.

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