by Heather Harris

Created on: August 11, 2009

Don't kid yourself. You are going to experience stress. You probably already feel like you've had your fair share for the day already. No one can avoid the stressors and tension of everyday life. What you can do, is be prepared for the stress when it comes and find ways to develop a plan for dealing with your tension.

A good stress relief plan relies first on back-up. As the song goes, sometimes we all need somebody to lean on. When you are facing troubles or in search of a solution to a problem that seems impossible to solve, try asking for advice. A parent, a spouse, a sibling or a friend can often times view a situation you're in much more objectively than you can yourself. Getting in outsider's perspective on your problems will enable you to formulate different solutions to your problems.

If there is no advice or problem to be solved having someone to hear you out can be just as helpful. Choose someone whom you trust and share your feelings concerning those things that are bothering you the most. The mere unloading of all your worries can be tremendously relieving. Keeping thoughts and feelings bottled up inside is a sure-fire way to eventually blow your top.

Another helpful hint is to know when you are stressed. Keep in inventory on how you are feeling, both physically and mentally. Don't wait until you're about to drop to realize you have pushed yourself to far into the red zone. Just as you maintain your car, keep a check on your own internal gauges. If you find yourself heavily breathing, feeling overwhelmed or running a mental or physical treadmill of errands, chores and work, take a break and give yourself some maintenance.

Keep track of things you know are relaxing to you and add them to your stress relief plan. Know the number of your favorite hair salon, massage or yoga center, movie theater, etc. What you do doesn't matter, that is a personal choice and you alone know what really relaxes you. Perhaps it's a high impact competitive sport, maybe it's a miniature golf game. Then again, maybe your best stress relief is simply laying on the couch and vegging out to your favorite television show or movie. Just as you know your emergency numbers, you should know your stress-relief station. Know where to go and what to do to relieve yourself from your own life.

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