Featured Article: 6 Ways to Fight Stress

1. Avoid Caffeine, Alcohol, and Nicotine.

Caffeine and nicotine are both stimulants, which will lead to increased levels of stress. Alcohol is a depressant when taken in large quantities, but is a stimulant is smaller quantities, again leading to more stress.

Avoid or reduce your intake of the three, and increase you intake of water. Hydration helps your body cope better with stress.

2. Diet and Exercise

Exercise and a healthy, well-balanced diet can help your body cope with stress. In addition to eating healthy food, you should also aim to avoid or reduce your intake of refined sugars. Refined sugars can cause energy crashes which can lead to feeling tired and irritable, on top of the stress.

3. Get More Sleep

A lack of sleep is one of the more significant causes of stress. By the same token, stress can cause a loss of sleep. Maximizing relaxation before going to sleep can be helpful. A warm bath or or reading an undemanding book can help relax your body and forget about the stress currently on your mind. Stopping mentally demanding work a few hours before bed can also help considerably.

You should also aim to go to bed at roughly the same time each day so that your mind and body get used to a predictable bedtime routine.

4. Meditate

Learn and practice a relaxation technique that works for you; try breath awareness and mindfulness meditation, yoga, or tai-chi.

5. Laugh

Find something to make you laugh. Whether it's reading the funny pages, watching a favorite tv show, or just chatting with a funny friend, laughter isn't just fun. It lowers Cortisol, the hormone that causes stress, and boosts endorphins in your brain that help lift you mood.

6. Talk to Someone

Just talking with someone can often help more than anything else. Whether it distracts you from the stress or gives you a way to release the built up tensions by discussing the situation, It can be very helpful. Not only that but talking things through with a friend or professional can often help find solutions to the problems causing your stress ins the first place.