Stress. We've all heard of it and we've all experienced it. While a certain amount of stress can actually be good for you (it increases productivity, among other things), too much is detrimental. In fact, scientists began documenting the correlation between stress and cancer beginning in the early 18th century. It has also been linked to strokes and heart attacks, and it has been estimated that 85-90% of all medical visits to family practitioners are for stress-related problems.

So we know it's a problem. But what can we do about it?

Over the last 300+ years, there have been thousands of remedies for stress. The "answers" have ranged from exercise to meditation to vitamins to aromatherapy. The true key to reducing stress, however, is preventing it in the first place.

Reducing Stress in Your Life Today:

Identify the Source: Knowing what causes your stress is the first step toward alleviating it. If finances are the cause, see how you can cut back on expenses or visit a financial planner to help you set up a plan. If work is the cause, talk to your boss and see how you can rearrange your day to make it more positive. If family is the cause, talk to your family and see how you can make changes.

Live a Balanced Life: People who experience large amounts of stress often live unbalanced lives. They work extremely long hours, don't eat healthy, don't exercise, or consume lots of alcohol or drugs. Try to balance out your life. Prioritize things and see where you can cut back and how you can add in other activities.

Accept Support from Others: One of the most effective ways to relieve stress is to talk to someone about it. Internalizing your stress only increases its effects, but sharing your concerns with an understanding friend can measurably reduce the stress you're feeling.

Develop Coping Skills: The way you think has a profound effect on the way you react to stress. To improve your ability to handle stress, consider some of these ideas:

• Be realistic. No one is perfect, so don't hold yourself to a standard of perfection.
• Be assertive rather than passive or aggressive. If you can't add one more task to your list today, say something up front, rather than internalizing it.
• Think about the positive things in life. Changing your focus from the negative to the positive is a great way to avoid stress altogether.
• Don't take work problems home or home problems to work.

Organize and Simplify Life: Most people feel overwhelmed when they have a long list of things to do, and that overwhelmed feeling leads to major stress - especially as the list grows. It doesn't have to be so bad! A few easy ways to prevent this type of stress include:

• Plan your day the night before
• Make a list
• Prioritize that list
• Break large items down into smaller, more manageable ones
• Organize your home and work space so things are easy to find

Nurture Yourself: Little things like getting a massage, reading a book, playing with a pet, exercising, or pampering yourself in some other way is a great method to reduce stress.

Take a Break: Not enough people take time out of their day to do something they truly enjoy, even for a few minutes. Doing things you love can help minimize the stress in your life. Take several small breaks in the day to read, play with your dog, go for a walk, or whatever else you love to do.

Keep a Journal: Writing things down is a great way to put things into perspective. By putting your worries into words, it can show you that you may be over-thinking things and don't need to worry so much. It's also a great way to release stress that you are internalizing.

You can reduce stress. Regular exercise, more balance in your life, taking a "big-picture" view of things, and prioritizing your life are great ways to prevent and reduce your stress. Sometimes you can't do it alone, and there is nothing wrong with that. There are amazing people out there who specialize in helping people cope with stress. If you feel you can't do it alone, by all means, seek professional help. It will make you happier and healthier in the long run.

For more information, straight from the source, visit www.stress.org or www.helpguide.org.