Look what I found in my pile of Word document files in my hard disk. I did not write this by the way. I just found it. Hope this helps!

Basic Coping Techniques When you are faced with a painful emotional experience, try one or more of the proven stress relievers listed below:
? Talk to a trusted friend, family member, or religious counselor about what’s troubling you. Express your anger. Neither holding anger in nor blowing up is constructive.
? Cry if you feel like it. It may relieve tension.
? Focus on action you can take — alone or with others — to resolve the situation or to make matters better.
? Exercise on a regular basis and maintain a healthy diet.
? Get all the sleep you need, but don’t use sleep as an escape.
? Avoid nonprescribed mood-altering drugs (including alcohol, which is a depressant.)

Therapeutic Solutions Professional counseling can often help people deal with stress in their lives. Seeking assistance from a certified social worker, psychologist, or psychiatrist is not a sign of weakness or ineptitude. Instead, it suggests that you are willing and able to get the help you need to live the richest and happiest life possible. Make a special effort to find a therapist who is right for you. Ask your friends or your doctors for recommendations and don’t be afraid to interview several therapists before settling on one.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy, which combines talking with practical, behavior-changing techniques, can be quite successful. The purpose is to alter the negative thoughts (”I’m not smart enough” or “That’s too difficult for me”) that keep you from handling stressful situations.

If you are terrified of public speaking, for example, try imagining the audience all naked. You may laugh, but once you have changed how you see that audience, it becomes less fearsome.

Relaxation Techniques Handling stress well means taking action when it will help and letting go when action won’t solve anything. Letting go is difficult. It means allowing yourself to relax, to stop worrying, and just to live moment to moment. Letting go is a challenge for most people, but it may be the most rewarding discipline you’ll ever develop.

Here are some of the best-known and most effective techniques for quieting both mind and body.
? Meditation Behaviorist and Harvard Medical School professor Herbert Benson studied various forms of meditation for years before developing what he calls “the relaxation response.” To trigger the relaxation response, four elements are required: a quiet environment, a comfortable position that decreases muscle tension, a passive attitude that allows distracting thoughts to float through the mind and a mental device, such as a word or phrase repeated silently, to help shift the mind away from externally oriented thoughts. Benson’s research shows that regular use of the relaxation response (20 minutes a day) actually slows down the body’s metabolism. He also believes that prayer is a powerful stress reliever: Meditating on a word or phrase with spiritual meaning enhances the mind’s power over health and disease.
? Exercise Stretching loosens neck and shoulder muscles tightened by stress. Aerobic exercise is an even more powerful reliever. Aerobic workouts trigger the release of hormones in the brain that lessen anxiety and offset depression.
? Yoga An Eastern discipline, yoga combines physical exercise with meditative activity to stretch and strengthen muscles, relieve tension and develop physical balance. Yoga requires instruction from a knowledgeable teacher.
? Massage A professional massage therapist gently but firmly works on stress-tensed shoulders, relaxing the muscles, relieving pain and refreshing the recipient. You can take a class with a friend or spouse to learn safe and effective massage techniques to use on each other.
? Progressive Relaxation This simple exercise, popular with actors and dancers, involves focusing on each part of the body individually and isolating tense spots. By alternately tightening each set of muscles, then loosening them, you can gradually relax your entire body from head to toe.