1. Dance it out. 

Put the radio on your favorite music and shake it, even a 5 minute dance break makes all things better.

2. Go for a walk.

If you’re at work take a quick walk away from your desk – it’s good to get up and stretch every little while anyway. If you’re at home, take a walk around the block – do this with a good friend and take turns venting.

3. Talk about it.

Got a close friend? Vent! Make sure they get a chance to vent too. Stress and problems too much to address with friend or spouse? Sign up for counseling. It’s not as awkward as you think, and you’ll be a better person for it.

4. Breathe.

Do this: regular breath in and out, then in for 4 counts, out for 8 counts, then continue regular breathing. This works for me.

5. Go to bed earlier.

Set a regular time. My family knows that I ‘turn into a pumpkin’ at 9:30 – it helps a lot.

6. Focus on what you can control.

There’s really no sense in worrying about things you cannot change. You can only change the way you react to things. This is really deep if you think about it…… I’ll give you a few minutes……

7. Reminisce about the good times.

Look back at an old yearbook, watch old videos – you might just realize the stress you’re having now is just in passing, it wont hang around in the big picture.

8. Ask for a hug.

There’s no shame in being honest about what you need. If you need a hug, chances are someone else does too. Hugs have been proven to be beneficial for your health.

9. Look for opportunities in life’s challenges.

When a relative of mine was laid off from a long-time job… it caused a lot of stress for her; until she realized she could pursue a job in the field of one of her main interests – it opened so many new doors. She is so much happier now.

10. Smile.

Even if it isn’t genuine, force a smile, and look in a mirror. Try it. It may not seem to help but it triggers your brain to see that there is still happiness/hope in there. Make some funny faces too! Give yourself a laugh 🙂