A good place to start in planning your own stress management would be finding the roots of your stress. It can come from physical exertion and mental strain as well. We all have these things in our everyday life. Its effects on our overall being can vary dramatically from others experiences. For that reason your needs in stress management may indeed differ from theirs as well.

Dealing with the sources of stress is best when possible. Often these are the things we dwell and over worry about. Among them are finances, family planning, balancing work/home, and often dealing with others over expectations. A good place to start in stress management is to focus on what your limitations are. While it may seem at times you can move mountains; don't forget after the move you will need a lot of rest.

Dealing with your stress effectively can be hard at times, but must be done regularly to prevent health problems. By not dealing with your stress you could be setting yourself up for major heart attack or stroke, with that being said here are 5 ways that could help you deal with your stress.

Secret No 1 - Do Relaxation Checks

Stress causes us to lose energy through the unnecessary tensing of muscles. Unfortunately whenever we feel pressured or distressed over something this is the first thing we do. The most common ways to carry tension is to clench our jaws or tighten our shoulders. Do a physical check on unnecessary tension in the body throughout the day and purposely relax any tense muscles. This will take an extra effort to begin with, but over time you will find that eventually habit will take over and you will no longer have to give any thought to staying relaxed

Secret No 2 - Limit Caffeine Intake

Over stimulating our nervous system with caffeine can make us unnecessarily nervous and tense. I recommend no more than three cups of coffee a day for the average person with a minimum of two hours between each cup. However, I know some people who become agitated if they have even one cup of coffee a day. So regulating caffeine intake needs to be a personal judgment call. Just keep in mind that tea and colas can contribute to caffeine jitters as well.

Secret No 3 - Do Weekly Exercise

Exercise is a great mood lifter. It releases tension and fills the body with feel good chemicals. Aerobic exercise where the heart gets pumping is an especially effective in relieving stress. Three, 30-minute exercise sessions a week would be ideal. It would be enough to relieve stress without causing exhaustion and further stress trying to cope with a dwindling energy supply. However, any exercise done even just once a week that is not too exhausting would be helpful.

Secret No 4 - Take Slow, Deep Breaths

Taking slow deep breaths when particularly anxious about something is an effective way to calm down. When we are under extreme stress our breathing becomes shallow and rapid. By slowing down and deepening the breath we are forcing ourselves into a more relaxed state. It's not good for a car to run on high revolutions and nor is it for the human machine. Taking slow, deep breaths during stressful situations forces our physical self to slow down and puts pressure on our mind and emotions to follow suit.

Secret No 5 - Deal with Stress Issues

Going through life with personal or relationship issues niggling at us will cause underlying tension. Sometimes we need to have a heart to heart with ourselves and look at what it is in our lives that is causing underlying tension. We may need to take some action to remedy a situation or we may just need to just change our attitude toward it. Either way we need to face anything that is bothering us and stop it from robbing our life and energy any further.

These five secrets to a stress free life take little effort and can be easily incorporated into your day. Remember, you need not be at the mercy of a high-pressured society because living a stress free life is your natural birthright