Taking steps to reduce stress is essential for leading a happy, healthy and fulfilling life. We all experience stress and anxiety from time to time. And, some of us experience stress quite often.

Stress could be affecting your physical and psychological health and you may not even know it. In fact, stress can contribute to many health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

Common side effects of stress include:

• Headache
• Muscle pain or tension
• Fatigue
• Sleep problems
• Stomach pain
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Lack of motivation
• Trouble focusing
• Drug or alcohol abuse
• Over or under eating
• Social withdrawal
• Reduced physical activity

Here are tools to help you reduce your overall stress:

1. Stay hydrated.
2. Get plenty of rest.
3. Walk every day.
4. Rest for 10 minutes after work.
5. Go outside.
6. Listen to happy music.
7. Get a massage once a month.
8. Meditate.
9. Use singing bowls.
10. Create a perfect living space where all of your needs and desires are fulfilled.
11. Keep your desk clean.
12. Pear down priorities.
13. Spend time relaxing.

Public speaking incites stress for almost all who participate in it. Here’s a blog post that gives great tips for reducing your Public Speaking Stress.

Engaging in Life Coaching or Leadership Coaching is a great way to work on reducing your stress and to gain perspective on what is causing your stress.