After all, it's already there and stress is not the sort of thing that is dealt with so easily. Stress tends to consume our consciousness, resulting in fatigue, depression, loss of concentration and in some situations can even cause memory problems. In cases like this, it looks like the brain is completely covered up in the mess called stress that there is no room for anything else. Thus, in order to stay alert, conscious and clear headed, it is vital that you develop a strategy for dealing with stress.

As with every other condition or illness, the best cure by far, is prevention. So also, the best method for handling stress is definitely to prevent it from consuming us, in the first place. The best way to achieve this is to learn to concentrate on the present, on what we are doing rather than being worried about what needs to be done. By focusing your mind, for instance on what you are doing you can avoid the anxiety that comes with worrying about how you are going to handle the jobs left to be done. This is quite simple. Living in every moment and allowing each moment and situation to move you forward, will definitely help in keeping your stress level at bay. 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.

"Do, everyday, All that can be done that day And do each act in an efficient manner" Wallace Wattles

Now, what if you couldn't prevent stress from overwhelming you. Now you are completely wrapped up in stress it's too late to start sermonizing about prevention. What you need now is relief, how do you get it?

The best thing you can do in such a situation is to just walk away. Get away from everything bothering you and let life stay still for a couple of moments. Forget about everything and think about something completely different for that glorious moment. Think about how to make a decent sandwich, pour yourself a nice cup of coffee and watch the fluid fill the cup. Take a look outside 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.

Give no anxious thoughts to possible disasters, obstacles, panics or unfavorable combinations of circumstances. There is time enough to meet such things when they present themselves.

"You will find that every difficulty carries with it The wherewithal for its overcoming" Wallace Wattles

Meditation is another important weapon to handle stress. When you are stressed you could push it out with a quick round of meditation. This could be done by just sitting down, closing your eyes, and concentrating for a moment 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 doesn'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.

Regular exercise and sound sleep are two efficient weapons that can also be used to attack stress. Keeping your body in shape does wonders for the body and mind. Exercise fills your body with hormones that are necessary for the body to relax. These hormones persist longer in the body after the exercise and can help you stave off stress. The more you exercise the farther stress is from you.

Poor sleeping habits also cloud the mind with fatigue, which makes us always tired during the day and easily knocked down by stress. Dealing with stress requires you to maintain a solid eight hours of sleep daily. You would do well to avoid alcohol and caffeine at bed times so that you could have a sound sleep and you will always wake up better the next day

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.

"It is not the number of things You do but the efficiency of each separate action." Wallace Wattles

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Stress