Stress affects everyone, but for some people it can really become extreme. Stress occurs any time something in our life changes and we have to adjust. Positively, stress can induce action and give us a new perspective. However, stress can also cause feelings of anger, depression, rejection and distrust if it becomes bad. Stress can even lead to health problems such as stomach aches, headaches, rashes, insomnia, heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke in extreme cases.

Some common signs of excessive stress include regularly doing things in a rushed way, regularly worrying and thinking about past or future events, frequent tension and tiredness of the body and feeling "on edge".

We all need a certain amount of stress to have an enriching life so your goal should not be to eliminate all stress but to get it to a manageable level. Insufficient stress actually causes depression and boredom.

The first step to reduce your stress is to pay attention to it. Don't ignore your stress and pretend it isn't there. Try and determine what causes your stress and how your body specifically responds to it. After you have determined what causes the stress, decide if you can avoid the cause or eliminate it. Try and reduce your exposure to stress as much as possible.

If you can't avoid the causes of your stress, try to reduce your emotional and physical reactions to it. Stress is caused by your perception of a situation. If you perceive something to be physically or emotionally dangerous, you will become stressed. When you are stressed, take a look at the situation and see if you are overreacting and viewing things as absolutely urgent and critical. Try to view stress as something that you can control rather than something that is controlling you. When you feel stressed, take slow and deep breaths and just try to relax.

There are also things you can do daily to manage your stress. Do something that is fun at least once a day. Avoid holding your feelings in every day; try to find a way to feel and express them. Take breaks during your workday to help you to relax. Go outside and take notice of the simple things, such as the sky, trees, flowers and weather. Do everything at a relaxed pace, don't rush. After you eat, just sit for a minute and relax. Try to do all of this every day.

Keeping your body healthy is another step to relieve stress. You should exercise three to four times a week, eat nutritious healthy meals, avoid smoking and caffeine and maintain a healthy weight.

Having people to support you will also really help. It is much easier if you have the love and support of friends and family. Try to spend time with positive, happy people. If you are around people that don't have a positive attitude, if can really bring you down.

If you still cannot seem to manage your stress, you may need to see a doctor or psychologist. They will evaluate your situation and decide what is best for you. Just remember that everyone does have stress in their lives. Don't get discouraged over one stressful event.