When you are stressed, the hardest thing in the world is dealing with stress. After all, it's already there and stress is not the sort of thing that is dealt with very easily. It tends to consume the mind, cause fatigue, prevent concentration, and can even cause memory problems. It is as though the brain is so wrapped up in its stress that it does not have room for anything else. Thus, in order to stay alert, aware and clear-headed, it is necessary to have a strategy for dealing with stress.

The best method for dealing with stress is, of course, to prevent it in the first place. This is best done by staying focused on what you are doing rather than worrying about everything that needs to be done. By concentrating on, let's say, the work you are doing, you can avoid work stress. It is a simple matter of focus. By simply staying in the moment and letting each moment move you forward, your stress levels will stay low. However, when you step back and look at the big picture and think to yourself, "How the heck am I going to get all this done?" you will not be helping yourself. Instead of working to get things done, you will instead be thinking about how you will never get it done and you will create your own, self-fulfilling prophecy! This, needless to say, is bad. Concentrate on what you are doing and the work will take care of itself.

However, supposing that you are already wrapped up in stress, it is already too late to try to keep it away. Thus, you need to get relief. The best thing you can do in this situation is to walk away. That's right, get up, go someplace else and let everything sit for a bit. Think about something else, worry about how to make a decent sandwich, pour yourself a nice cup of coffee and watch the fluid fill the cup. Take a look out the window and watch the people, cars or ducks go by. Just notice something else and concentrate on that. By doing this, you will be able to clear your mind of stress and worry instead about something entirely mundane that is not a source of stress at all. And wouldn't that be a nice change of pace?

Another method of dealing with stress is through a quick round of meditation. This is easily done by simply sitting down, closing your eyes, and concentrating on your breathing. Take a deep breath and notice the air coming into your lungs. Then push all that air out and feel it wafting through your nose or mouth. With a few of these deep breaths, you can quickly clear your mind of its concerns and start with a clean slate. Then, once you open your eyes, you will feel very refreshed. If this didn't work at first, then do it again and see if it makes a difference. Obviously, it takes some practice to master this quick method of meditation, but many people find quick relief from stress by performing this simple breathing exercise. Just keep trying it and, eventually, you will master this technique of dealing with stress.

Another great method for dealing with stress is through exercise. Keeping in shape has excellent benefits for the body and mind, as exercise fills your body with the hormones that it needs to relax. Fortunately, these hormones stay in your body even after you are done with your workout and they will help you to stave off stress. And the more you exercise, the fitter you will be and the better you will feel every day.

One vital method of dealing with stress is to get plenty of sleep every night. Most people do not get enough sleep and, as a result, they feel fatigued during the day. Unfortunately, fatigue tends to cloud the mind and it makes people anxious, nervous, and unable to concentrate. Thus, the mind is not able to cope with stress and, when it arrives, it tends to stay in the mind. Thus, dealing with stress properly requires a solid eight hours of rest every night. So avoid caffeine and alcohol before you go bed, and you will feel much better the following morning.

Dealing with stress is not difficult, but it does take practice. No one has ever mastered any skill in a short period of time and dealing with stress is no different. Just be sure to exercise, get plenty of sleep, learn to concentrate and, if need be, meditate so that you can either keep stress away or deal with it when it arrives. Then, once you have mastered these methods and techniques of dealing with stress, you will feel better, be more effective and you will be much happier every day.

Copyright 2005 Trevor Dumbleton