Stress is an inevitable part of life, but that doesn’t mean it has to take over your life. Reducing stress is a key factor to staying healthy, so staying on top of your anxiety is an important task. Use the following tips to help alleviate the stress in your life.

Number your stress level from 1-10. Let “1” represent a small problem, and let “10” represent a real catastrophe. This can really help you learn not to stress over minor details.

Pets are a great way to relieve stress. Studies have shown that petting a cute animal reduces stress levels in just a few minutes.

A totally stress-free life is impossible, of course, but you can eliminate a great deal of it. Once you start to focus on the things that are causing you stress, you should be able to figure out what are your biggest triggers and begin to avoid these hot topics.

While many people find video games and similar hobbies relaxing, if you start to get overly frustrated while doing them, you should put them away for a while. You want to do things that calm you down, not things things that frustrate you more.

During times of stress, pay attention to what parts of your body are tense. Often these are your shoulders, lower back muscles, teeth or fingers. When you notice that part of the body begin to tighten, consciously stretch and relax that part of the body. This habit makes it much easier to lower your guard and fully relax.

Listening to your favorite music is an excellent technique of reducing your stress. The positive effects of music therapy on stress are well known. Select music that best soothes you so you can relieve your stress; remember that what relaxes someone else might not be right for you. Music that you enjoy releases serotonin in your body which is a natural mood booster.

These tips will help you manage your stress so you can enjoy a happy life. Stress can harm both your mind and your body, so do what is needed to keep your stress level as low as possible. You can do this!