Stress often comes by surprise and no one would choose to be stressed out if they could help it. But the truth is that you have more control than you know. The reasons for your stress might not be your doing, but you have control over how you deal with them. Here are some great ways to deal with stress.

If you’re feeling stressed out, consider taking up martial arts. Not only can martial arts give you an outlet for any pent up anger or stress, but it will teach you to focus your mind and body. You’ll learn effective ways to manage stress and to clear your mind. It’s also a lot of fun and can be a break from the rest of your life.

A great tip that can help you beat stress is to head outside and go for a hike. Going for a hike can be amazing at keeping stress down because it allows you to enjoy the soothing sights, sounds and smells of nature. You’ll also be getting some exercise which will help a lot as well.

If you are under pressure, one of the things that you can do is lift weights. When you contract your muscles, you will reduce the tension on your body and feel good about yourself. Do this in the comfort of your own home or at the gym to reduce stress levels.

A good tip that can help you fight stress is to start being assertive in social situations. Being assertive insures that you’re always being true to your own wants and needs. If you’re passive all the time, you’ll feel resentment to other people and it also comes with stress.

Avoid stress when possible! High blood pressure can be the direct result of too much stress in our lives. It is, of course, natural to experience a short-term spike in blood pressure under stressful situations. Think, for example, about a typical trip to the doctor’s office. Many people experience such as spike under such conditions. Long term elevation in blood pressure due to stress, however, is considerably more concerning!

Persistent headaches are one of the more common symptoms of stress. That’s why we often refer to an undesirable experience or task as a headache! There could, of course, be other underlying problems that are contributing to headaches but stress should certainly be investigated as one of the more logical culprits.

If you are driving on the road and have something on your mind, sing the words of a song at the top of your lungs. Since no one can hear you, this is a great time to let it all out to a song that you know. Singing is a great form of stress relief.

One way to ensure that you are able to deal with stress in your life is to make sure that you get enough sleep. Without the proper amount of sleep, your body and mind are not fully able to recover and you will not be in the best shape for making decisions and dealing with possible stress causing situations.

One great way to deal with your stress is to get a massage either from a professional or from a loved one. While this may be obvious for some, the benefits from a massage can be great due to the comfort and relaxation that comes along with it. You may just feel all of your stress melt away.

Take these tips and take control of your stress. Stress can come into your life often, but you can decide how strong an effect it has on you and your life. Make a decision to fight stress and soon you will find that you find stress easier to deal with and not such a big deal at all.