Stress can have a major impact on your health. It can affect your concentration and mood. It can make you react in ways you normally wouldn’t and it can make you feel anxious and nervous. Stress can also affect us physically, causing us to feel tired and develop aches and pains. Dealing with stress is very important to our long-term health, but often people resort to alcohol, drugs or junk food. Not only does this have a negative impact on our health, it can also make the situation a lot worse. There are much better ways to deal with stress…

1. Learn to be happy in your situation – Many people become stressed because of the lifestyle situation they find themselves in. They may be unhappy in their job or relationship and may feel that they are missing out on something. Learning to accept how things are is one of the best ways to start dealing with stress. Once you are content, you can focus on being happy.

2. Surround yourself with close friends and family – Having a support network around you that has your best interests at heart is very important if you’re feeling stressed. Knowing that others are there to support you really does help you to see things in a different light.

3. Get out and exercise – As mentioned earlier, exercise is a great stress-reliever. Exercise makes the body release ‘feel-good’ endorphins that can dramatically reduce stress. Make exercise a part of your day-to-day life and your stress will vanish.

4. Watch what you eat – The food we put into our body can affect our mood and our response to stress. Make sure you eat a well-balanced diet, low in junk food and high in nutritious fruit and vegetables. Eating healthily means you maintain a healthy weight and your body and organs function at their best, helping you feel better and more relaxed.

5. Take time out for yourself – During stressful periods it’s important to find time to rest and relax. Dance around to your favourite music or have a bath with some luxury bubble bath. Whatever it takes to forget your worries!

6. Write down your worries – People who are stressed often feel that they can’t ‘turn off’. If this sounds familiar, try writing down what is stressing you out. Just seeing it on paper sometimes reveals new ways of dealing with it. At the very least, it might clear your head.

7. Do something for others – Focusing on something other than yourself can sometimes help you feel less stressed.Try doing voluntary work or helping a friend in need.