Stress is, well, stressful. The human body has several involuntary reactions to stress, which you may or may not notice when you're experiencing them. Your body releases adrenaline, which increases your heart rate, your muscles tighten, and your breath becomes shallower. If you regain control of your body's reaction to stress, you'll feel better and be better equipped to make good decisions. You can't instantly slow down your heart rate, or instantly relax all of your muscles, so where do you start? Taking control of the simplest aspect - your breathing - can make a big difference and bring the rest of your body's reactions into line.

Right now, practice taking a breath as you normally would. If you're like most people, the breath isn't very deep. Now, practice taking a deep breath. Blow a breath out completely, then breathe in slowly and deeply with the goal of expanding your upper stomach as you breathe. Then blow this breath out completely. This type of breath uses more of your lung capacity; normal, shallower breathing only uses a smaller portion of your lungs. During the rest of the day and beyond, practice being mindful of your breathing. When individuals practice yoga or meditation, "being mindful" means that you pay close attention to your breathing and body, and adjust your breath as needed to make it deeper and more relaxing. A deeper and more controlled breath will help to lower your heart rate and reduce muscle tension.

Watching your breath is the easiest thing you can do to reduce your stress and improve your health. If your breathing is shallow, your body thinks something is wrong, and your breathing can become shallow because you're stressed out. It's a vicious cycle that you can break by being mindful of your breath, and taking deeper, more efficient breaths when you notice your breathing becoming shallow. After a while, you'll breathe better without even trying. And when you're stressed out, a quick reminder to breathe more deeply will suffice. So if you're feeling stressed out, breathe more deeply and reap the benefits.

It's a fact. When people live hectic, stressful lives they tend to take better care of inanimate objects than they do themselves! Take cars, for example. Everyone knows that basic routine maintenance can keep things running smoothly and prevent major breakdowns later on. We get oil changes and tune-ups for our cars. The same basic principles apply to your body, the most important asset you have! Without a healthy body, you can't do the things you need to do, and you're certainly not prepared to handle stressful situations. Taking care of yourself with some routine "basic maintenance" can keep your body running smoothly and give you a solid foundation for dealing with stress.

Body Basic Maintenance #1: Get Enough Sleep
This one is important. Even if you can't get a full eight hours, make a commitment to yourself to get as much as you can. If you have trouble sleeping, try relaxing with a relaxing bath or good book.

Body Basic Maintenance #2: Eat (And Eat Reasonably)
Sometimes, it's not a matter of eating well - it's a matter of remembering to eat at all! Grabbing breakfast in the morning can help energize you all day. And when you do eat, make sure that what you're putting into your body will help it run smoothly.

Body Basic Maintenance #3: Get Moving
If a car is left in the garage for several years, it may or may not run when someone tries to start it up. The same is true for exercising your body. Try to get a little bit of exercise every day, even if it's only walking the dog. It will help you feel better both physically and emotionally.

Body Basic Maintenance #4: Take A Daily Vitamin
If you ate a perfectly balanced diet every day, then you probably wouldn't need a daily vitamin supplement. A daily vitamin supplement can help strengthen all of your defenses, particularly your immune system, and make up for the nutrients your day-to-day diet lacks.

Body Basic Maintenance #5: Stay Hydrated
Many people don't drink enough liquids. Adequate hydration can help all of your body's systems run more smoothly. Think of it like an oil change for your body. Find a healthy drink you like, such as tea or ice water, and keep it on hand at all times for maximum hydration.

When it comes to dealing with stress, there's a direct link between how well you take care of yourself and how well you handle tension. A big part of this is diet, but it's hard to watch what you eat. When you stop to think about it, how do you know when you're feeling stressed out? Your muscles tense, your heart rate increases, and you might even get a headache. Many of the signs of stress are physical. By taking small steps to improve what you eat, you can better prepare your body for handling stress later on. Even the busiest people can do three easy things to make their diets just a little bit healthier.

Stay Hydrated
This is probably the most important. I've noticed a big difference in how I feel when I'm not staying hydrated, and how I feel when I do. The best way to handle this is to keep a bottle of water (or tea, etc.) with you at all times. If it's there, you're more likely to drink it, and less likely to run for the soda machine down the hall.

Avoid Temptation Altogether
I find this really hard to do, but it works! The idea is simple enough: if you want to improve your health and resistance to stress, don't buy junk food. If it's not in the house, you can't sit around eating it in the evenings. I'm usually pretty mad when I want a big bowl of ice cream after dinner, but am I mad enough to make a special trip to the store? No.

Make It Easy
During your busy day and when you get home from work, you're probably not likely to whip up a nutritious meal. If you plan ahead in the mornings and after dinner, you're more likely to eat well. Pack your lunch in advance, with healthy things you like to eat. For an easy evening meal, throw lean meats and fresh vegetables into slow cookers in the morning for a hot meal when you get home. A little advanced planning makes it easy to stay hydrated, healthy and ready to face the world.

In today's busy world, we often find ourselves running around like crazy. We are so loaded down with things we have to do, need to do and should do that we're sometimes not sure what to do! And the most frustrating part? Sometimes, at the end of the day, we feel that we've barely accomplished anything or discover the most important task for that day remains undone. And feeling inefficient and out of control will make you even more stressed out.

There's a really easy way to avoid this problem and have more control over your busy life: make a list. At first glance, this may sound like a ridiculous solution for an overbooked schedule, something that might be appropriate for people with too much time on their hands. But, in fact, it's just the opposite. Keeping a list of what you've done and what you need to do is like having a road map of your day. Even if you make stops along the way (like last-minute tasks that pop up), you know where you've been, and you know where you need to go.

I began using lists seriously while working as a paralegal. Often, at the end of the day, I had barely scratched the surface of my to-do list. Frustrated, I started keeping a list not only of what I needed to do, but what I had actually done. It helped to look back at my list and see that my to-do list wasn't finished because I had done twenty other last-minute tasks. Any unfinished tasks were put on the next day's list and underlined if they were really important. While keeping these lists, I would scribble down things I needed at the store as I thought of them. This reduced my number of shopping trips, too.

Whether you keep your list in a notebook tucked in your purse or in a special organizer, having one and keeping it up to date will help you feel more on top of your busy life. Getting things done and feeling more in control will reduce your stress more than the best aromatherapy around.

If you're stressed out, you've probably heard about the stress-reducing properties of yoga. Many people who regularly do yoga routines swear by them as a way to aid in relaxation and improve balance and muscle tone. You may think yoga is for hippies or people with too much time on their hands. Today, people of all ages and walks of life are practicing yoga. And with the many types of yoga and ways of using it, there's bound to be a yoga routine that will help you unwind.

Hatha Yoga is the type most commonly offered to the public. You won't need much to get started in yoga. A cozy combination of yoga pants and an athletic top or t-shirt will allow for comfort and freedom of movement during your workout. As with any type of exercise, keep a bottle of water handy to stay hydrated before, during and after your yoga workout.

Once you've decided to give yoga a try, you have two options: sign up for a local class or use a yoga DVD in the privacy of your home. What are the pros and cons of each?

A local class, taken with other people, allows you to socialize and encourages you to stay involved. A real life instructor can also answer any questions you may have. On the downside, yoga classes cost money, usually anywhere from $75 to $150 per several-week series. You also have to attend at the same day and time every week.

Instructional yoga videos have many advantages. There are videos available for all skill levels, and many videos are designed specifically for relaxation. The cost is also low, usually under $20.00. And with a video, you can do the yoga routine at any time. On the downside, you don't have the encouragement to stick with it that yoga class members can provide. It's easy to "forget" your workout after a busy day.

Yoga is just one more tool to help reduce your stress levels and increase your health. With the many types of yoga available, you can hopefully find one that will work wonders for you!

If you're reading this, your life is probably pretty hectic. That out-of-control, stressed-out feeling that comes from doing too much? It's no fun. But what do you do with it? You want to scream, throw something or play bumper cars with the super-slow driver that's making you late to work. And while screaming is sometimes okay, the other two could land you in a bit of trouble. So, how do you find a healthy outlet to vent that steam?

Exercise can work wonders when you're all wound up, and it can keep your body in better shape to deal with stress too. If you're not one who likes to get out and move, you're probably sighing or rolling your eyes. And I can't blame you. Squeezing exercise into an already-packed day can seem impossible, especially when you're already exhausted. But exercise can actually increase the amount of energy you have by making your body work more efficiently. Here are three ways to fit exercise into an already busy day.

Walk It Off - Everyone can walk, whether it's around the neighborhood or around town during your lunch break. Plus, it's free. The only things you need are a great pair of walking shoes, a water bottle and a few minutes. Even if you can only walk for five, ten or fifteen minutes, the important thing is that you get moving. It's a great habit to start.

Choose To Move - Okay. Forget the escalator, elevator and people movers at the airport. Not only do they ensure that you stay less active - a lot of the time, they're actually slower than walking the distance yourself. So, give it a try. One important note: if you work on the 21st floor, you might want to take the elevator to 18, and walk the remaining three staircases.

Pick A Speedy Gym Routine - Many gyms are popping up all over the nation that cater to men and women who have very little time for exercise. Curves, for instance, allows you to follow a predetermined exercise circuit and get in and out in a matter of minutes.

With the busy lives people live today, stress has become a big buzz word. Stress, stress, stress! But what exactly are we talking about? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, stress is "a physical, chemical or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a factor in disease causation." Ouch! We all know that the emotional and physical toll of stress can be great, from headaches to ulcers. But what can we actually do about it? Many of us have families, jobs and other things that are an inherent part of our lives, so eliminating the stress altogether is impossible. Fortunately, there are a lot of real things you can do to reduce stress and its impact, all while keeping your life (and sanity) intact.

Don't Add To Your Load
As I mentioned, a lot of factors that cause day-to-day stress are here to stay. But, if you take a closer look, you may find there are ways you can eliminate some stress without compromising your quality of life. Take a few minutes to jot down what, or who, causes you to stress out. Then ask yourself which things you have control over and which you don't. Procrastinating, consuming too much sugar and caffeine and not budgeting your money can all complicate an already stressful day. Instead of looking at the things that stress you out, look to the root of the problems. You may have more control than you think. If a messy house has you pulling out your hair, a weekly list of what needs to be cleaned when can add to your sense of control, thereby reducing your stress.

Find The Stress Reducers That Work For You
Marketers use the term "stress reduction" to sell everything from lotion to herbal supplements. But many things that are supposed to reduce stress just don't do the trick, and the same techniques won't work for everyone. A few ideas to try and tweak are aromatherapy candles, percussion or chair massagers, hot baths or showers, meditation, keeping a journal and exercising. The best stress reducer, of course, is the one that works for you.