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Stress relief is often recommended for health improvement. It's supposed to lessen chances of having a heart attack or stroke, and be good for mental health as well. It's easier said than done though, and worrying about it can increase stress even more. There are ways to count or measure things like calories eaten and time spent exercising, but how do you measure stress reduction? Where do you start?

Start with something simple. There are many small ways to reduce stress, and some of them can become second nature after awhile.

Talk about it. Have someone you can meet or call and vent. Sometimes having a group of people meet and exchange notes on the things that are getting on your nerves can help. You might find out that you share some beefs, and you might even be able to come up with solutions to some of the shared problems. At least you can take comfort in the knowledge that you aren't the only one going through them.

Take your time to finish meals. Busy schedules don't always permit this, but whenever you've got time to eat a meal without hurrying to make an appointment, take advantage of it. It will be good for your digestive system, your weight, and your nerves. We learn in school how to rush through meals, and it is not a valuable lesson. Work schedules that only allow half hours for lunch reinforce these bad habits, which we don't have to continue in our free time. Remind yourself that you don't have to hurry.

Bore yourself to sleep. When the stresses of the day are keeping you from falling asleep when you know you should, bore yourself to sleep. This doesn't mean count sheep. Sheep jumping over a fence make a boring image, yes, but it's too easy to get distracted and start thinking about all the things you have to do and are sure you won't have time to finish the next day. Think of something that will bore you and not allow those worries to creep into your thoughts. Make a mental list of cities or foods that have names starting with each letter. Think of words that have plural forms that are not the singular ones with extra letters on the end, like "goose".

Get a pedometer. Set a target of 10,000 steps a day or one and a half miles a day or whatever works best for you. If you don't reach that target one day, you can carry over the rest until the next day or forget about it and try again the next day. You won't be answering to anyone but yourself. You will, however, be walking off some of that stress and getting more fit as you do it.

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