You may not believe that, but sometimes stress can motivate us to do things we may not normally do in a relaxed state. Stress can make us brave enough to go forward when normally we might hesitate. How do you get strong and resilient? By learning how to take control of your stress and make it work FOR you.

Recognizing stress symptoms can be a positive influence in that we're compelled to take action.The more common events that trigger those emotions are the death of a loved one, the birth of a child, a job promotion, or a new relationship. We experience stress as we readjust our lives. Your body is asking for your help when you feel these stress symptoms.I offer some suggestions ,not all of them will work for you, some of them will.

The first stress management tip is to understand the root cause of your stress. No one understands your problem better than you do. During this process, identify what triggered the stress. If someone close to your heart is nearby share it with the person. If you are overstressed and feel you are going to collapse, take a deep breath and count till ten. This pumps extra oxygen into your system and rejuvenates the entire body.

When under severe stress meditate for a moment and pull out of the current situation for a little while. Stand up from your current position and walk. Stretch yourself. Soon you will find that the stress has lessened. This is because you have relaxed now and relaxation is the best medicine for stress. Smiling is yet another way of stress management. If you are at the work place, just stand up and smile at your colleague in the far corner. You will see a change in your mood. Learn some simple yoga or mediation techniques.

Taking a short walk and looking at objects in nature is another stress reliever. Drinking a glass of water or playing small games are simple stress management techniques. The whole idea is change the focus of attention and when you return to the problem, it does not look as monstrous as you felt before.

Here are five quick steps you can take toward relieving stress:

1. Exercise! According to many psychologists, motion creates emotion. You might notice that when you are idle, its easier to become depressed. Your heart rate slows down, less oxygen travels to your brain, and you are slumped somewhere in a chair blocking air from reaching your lungs. Exercise can be a great stress buster. People with anxiety disorders might worry that aerobic exercise could bring on a panic attack. After all, when you exercise, your heart rate goes up, you begin to sweat, and your breathing becomes heavier. Dont panic its not an attack! Tell yourself this over and over while youre exercising. Realize that theres a big difference between the physical side of exercise and what happens when you exercise.

2. Plan a new experience. Visit a country with lots of exotic places to jolt your imagination and spur your creativity. You need to detach from your daily activities and venture a little bit.

3. Help others cope with their problems. You will be surprised how many peoples problems are worse than those you may be facing. You can offer others assistance in countless ways. Be careful. Dont get too caught up in other peoples problems though in an attempt to forget about your own.

4. Laugh a little. By now youve heard that laughter is a good internal medicine. It relieves tension and loosens the muscles. It causes blood to flow to the heart and brain. More importantly, laughter releases a chemical that rids the body of pains.

5. Meditation. Whether that means prayer or reflection on something important in your life, it has a calming effect on anxiety and panic.