By Dave Ulacia

Daily life is full of hassles, frustrations, and problems you must handle. From the snarled morning-commute traffic to the bills that are waiting in your mailbox when you get home, stress has become the modern way of life; most of us even think it’s the normal way to “get things done.” But the truth is that constant stress isn’t normal—and it’s costing you more than you think.

Prolonged stress can be dangerous to your health, your wealth, and your professional and personal relationships. It can drive you to make poor decisions, deprive you of energy, and keep you from finding effective solutions to problems you encounter. Even in these tough times, you can learn to lower your stress, regain control of your life, and improve your overall outlook. With these seven easy-to-implement stress relievers, you’ll soon be able to stay calm in the storm both at work and at home.

1–Get back to basics. And there’s nothing more basic than your breath. Take a few minutes every day to really concentrate on breathing in and breathing out—even make noises while doing so if you feel like it. Mindful breathing helps you think more clearly, slows down your heart rate, and improves your mood.

2–Take a break. Stop filling your eyes and ears with the negative news being broadcast all around you. Stop watching the news. Stop reading the newspapers. Crises will still happen if you don’t click on your Internet news feeds every half-hour; you need to give your head a break from the images and anxiety so you can recharge your own batteries and get things back into perspective.

3–Rekindle an old hobby. Look into an old pastime you used to love but had to sideline, such as playing an instrument, model making, or writing. You’ll not only reconnect with an old passion, but you’ll also be able to use your hobby to disengage from the usual stressors in your day and give your mind and spirit a much-needed respite.

4–Improve your diet. Usually when you are stressed the first thing you do is reach for something that makes you feel better, like chocolate or doughnuts or alcohol. Eating a healthy diet (including the proper amount of water) will boost your immune system, your mood will be more consistent, and you’ll avoid the weight gain that usually accompanies stress.

5–Be here, now. Instead of worrying about terrorism on the other side of the world, try to focus on what you can control right here. Make sure your emergency supplies are adequate and at-hand, that you have new batteries in your smoke detectors, and that you have up-to-date medical information for yourself and family members. If you know you are prepared, that is one less thing to worry about.

6–Reassess your surroundings. Do you have one place at home you can truly relax? Is your workspace cramped and poorly organized? Are your plants brown and withered? Take a few minutes to make some adjustments to your chair, desk, and location of other tools to reduce eye and back strain. Repot or replace your plants to provide oxygen and remove toxins from the air. Also, try to get as much natural light as possible, or use full-spectrum light bulbs in your lamps.

7–If you can’t fight or flee, flow. Remember, not all problems can be solved nor all arguments won. Sometimes you just have to let go of things that you can’t do anything about. Learn how to decide what is most important so that you can save your efforts and time for things that really matter to you.

Now, when you find yourself feeling frazzled and overwhelmed, try these simple tips for getting yourself back into balance. Also, it’s a good idea to use tools that help you get (and stay) prepared, such as our planners and refills and life organization tools from Buttoned Up®.

Thanks, Dave! Have an old hobby you're thinking of rekindling? Discuss it here.