Stress comes at us from all angles – work, school, family, and even our daily commute. Fortunately, the advice found in this selection of handpicked tips and tricks can be used to constructively assess and respond to the most common sources of stress. Keep calm, carry on, and remember these tips in your time of need.

Try to visualize being calm when you feel overwhelmed and stress. Picture yourself at home, in the shower or the tub, with the water carrying relaxation with it as it flows over you and carries your stress away with it. Other thoughts to conjure up to relieve your stress include thinking of a favorite destination, a pleasant person or anything else that causes you to feel good.

A great tip that can help you fight stress is to challenge the way that you think. Try to stop yourself whenever you’re thinking negative. Instead, try to think more positive in these situations. You’ll notice that you’ll feel much better about yourself and the events in your life.

To lower your stress levels. make sure you exercise at least three to five times each week for thirty minutes each session. The exercise can be anything from running and swimming to simply a daily walk. Exercise has the benefit of releasing endorphins, chemicals that enhance your mood, making it a great way to de-stress at the end of a hectic day!

Monitor your stress. Stress that becomes excessive to the point where it takes a toll on your daily life can frequently lead to depression. To avoid getting to this point, try to eliminate as much stress from your life as possible. Learn to say ‘no’ to others, and be sure to surround yourself with positive people and things. Try to use humor as a coping skill, as research indicates that this helps to reduce stress.

If you are very active during the course of the day, one of the things that you can do is to listen to music to calm you down. When you listen to music, your mind will be toned down, especially if the music is very fluid and soft. Listen to your favorite tune to optimize the way you feel.

Identify the main sources of stress in your life, and then find ways to either completely eliminate it or reduce it as much as possible. If a relationship is contributing too much drama and anxiety to your life, try to put some space between you and the other person. You can improve your health and attitude towards life by eliminating sources that cause harmful stress.

Make it a habit to rate whatever is stressing you on a scale from one to ten. One being a very small issue while ten being a major stress breakdown. Often, you will find the stresses you have at hand will fall in the lower end of the spectrum. This is a great way to put your stressful situations into perspective.

Create a peaceful saying. Many people use a positive saying or affirmation that they say repeatedly when they begin to feel stressed. By repeating the affirmation, you can silence the more critical thoughts you are having about the situation. Next time you are feeling stressed, try saying the affirmation ten times in a row.

When the weather is nice outside, take advantage of the outdoors and have a picnic with your friends and family. It is important to get out of the house once in a while, as this can serve as a great alternative. Also, breathing in the fresh air will make you feel great.

A tutor may be helpful if you are experiencing difficulty with a specific school subject. Having professional assistance before you take an exam will give you confidence in your ability to perform well. Remember, preparation is the key to reducing feelings of anxiety.

Walk, bike, run or whatever! Just get out there and do it! A variety of stress hormones and neurochemicals build up in our bodies when we experience chronic stress. Exercise is one of the most effective ways to reduce these chemicals, one of the most effective ways to prevent significant stress-related damage to our health.

Listening to the right kind of music can lower your stress level. To combat stress, play your favorite song, and direct your focus to the rhythm of the music. Engaging in this process will give your mind a break from thinking about the stressful people or things in your life.

Stay focused on one thing at a time. Focus your mind on only one goal to be accomplished at once. Large projects are more stressful because there are more decisions to make. If you can break that one large project down into little projects and focus on them individually you will be able to tackle the task at hand with less stress.

So whether you are having trouble coping with a new job, passing a difficult course, or dealing with unforeseen events that make it difficult to go about one’s business with an air of calm — do not be afraid to call upon these tips to help you cope.