Stress is an annoying waste of energy, am I right?

I wanted to find ways to combat stress to make life a little bit easier for all of us.

1. Breathe!

The worst thing you could possibly do is forget to breathe! Take a deep breath, hold it for ten seconds and let it out slowly. This is essential for reducing stress and calming your nerves and anxieties.

2. Take a Step Back

Take a step back and ask yourself "Can I change what is happening?" If the answer is no, it is probably already too late to do anything about. I have always told myself in high school "Don't worry about something you can't change." You will just be exerting unnecessary energy on worry that you could do without.

3. Use a Planner

If you are stressed out about an overwhelming list of chores, homework, things to do, use a planner to organize. After a few weeks, notice how your load has become a little lighter and reflect on what you have changed.

4. Write

When I am stressed, I take my negative energy and channel it into writing. Using the bad emotion into something positive really seems to help me. Whether it is writing an article, or even in a journal only I see, it is helpful to see your feelings into words. I have heard of people who write down their prayers in a journal as well and are able to reflect back to see if their prayers have been answered. I like to look back on all the events I wrote down and laugh at them or see how different my life is now from when that day occurred.

5. Don't Sweat It

If you have someone in your life that you stress over, maybe even multiple people, evaluate the situation. If it is someone you can live without and does nothing valuable to your relationship, let them go. There are people that are petty and things that they do that can be let go. Rumors or lies, maybe even hateful and spiteful words said to you. Life has a funny way of throwing stress at you and leaving you without a clue on how to handle it. Life has a way of making you feel like any decision you make is a bad one, but life also has a way of being amazing if you let it,

Its up to you.