Women's Counseling Network

Breathe deeply. Take ten long, slow, deep breaths. Close your eyes, breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Feel your lungs fill with air and your stomach move out. Repeat as often as necessary.

Exercise. Get active through sports, walking, dancing or any physical exercise that makes you feel good. Aerobic exercise is the best. Exercise releases the body's own pain killers and muscle relaxers.

Watch what you eat. Drink lots of water. Good eating habits help you deal with stress better. Water flushes out the toxins from stress.

Take a break. Leave your problems for a bit. Read a book, see a movie or play a game. Plan a romantic interlude. Or find someone who will amuse you with outrageous stories or jokes. Do something for others. Try a new hobby, get a pet or do something different.

Don't depend on drugs or alcohol. These may help you feel better for a while, but in the end, they cause more stress. Avoid caffeine, nicotine and sugar. They will make you feel worse.

Accept the things you can't change. Don't get frustrated by trying to change things you can't control.

Don't try to be perfect. Nobody is! Pick things you like, and do those things well.

Be a good problemsolver. Choose problems you can solve, and tackle them one at a time.

Talk it out. Discuss your problems with a friend or an adult you trust. Consider talking to a counselor. Imagine the worst and what would happen. If it's not the end of the world, relax. You can ways rectify mistakes, but you can never recover time spent worrying.

Meditate. Daydream. Visualize. Pray or practice yoga. Imagine the sights and sounds and smells of a relaxing place. Make the imagery as complete, powerful and intense as you can. Five minutes of transporting yourself to a relaxing experience will be almost as helpful as a real vacation.