6 Ways to Fight Back Against Stress -- and Improve Your Health

The next time you feel stressed, here are six stress relief tips you can try.

1. Breathe deeply. Just a few minutes of deep breathing can calm you and tame the physiologic stress response. While building in a specific time to relax each day is a good idea, one advantage to deep breathing for stress relief is that you can do it anywhere -- at your desk or in your (parked) car, for instance. As you breathe out, relax a specific muscle group. Start with the muscles in your jaw. On the next breath out, relax your shoulders. Move through the different areas of your body until you're feeling calm.

2. Focus on the moment. When you're stressed, you're probably living in the future or the past. You're worried about what to do next or regretful about something you've already done. To get some stress relief, instead try focusing on what you're doing right now. You can calm yourself by bringing yourself back to the present moment. If you're walking, feel the sensation of your legs moving. If you're eating, focus on the taste and the sensation of the food. Be mindful!

3. Reframe the situation. So you're already running late and then find yourself stuck behind a slow car. Getting worked up is a natural reaction, but it won't help you at all. Rather than swearing and pounding the steering wheel, get a different perspective. Look at that time as an opportunity -- a few minutes to

yourself where you don't have any other obligations…and maybe fit in the deep breathing!

4. Keep your problems in perspective. It might seem Pollyannaish, but the next time you're feeling stressed out, think about the things for which you're grateful. We get stressed when we focus so much on a specific problem that we lose perspective. You need to remind yourself of the basic ways in which you're lucky -- that you have family and friends, that you can see, that you can walk. It can be a surprisingly effective method for stress relief. Be grateful!

5. While these stress management techniques can help in the moment, you can also make a few larger changes to your way of life. Regular exercise is key to long-term stress management. People who exercise tend to have better moods and more energy than people who don't. What's more, regular exercise will independently lower your risks for many health problems.

6. Learning some relaxation techniques, meditation, or yoga will help with stress management, too. Getting good at any of these approaches will take a little time and practice, but the payoff -- for your short-term mood and long-term health -- could be substantial.