A certain amount of stress, unlike the common cold can actually be good for you. However, you are not likely to reach your full potential if you have too many stressful situations or incidents taking place in your life.

Stress overload cannot be simply waved away with a magic wand - it takes a great deal of control and determination to do this. Nonetheless the basics of getting rid of stress are quite simple to put into practice - it is not rocket science, it just takes a little time and effort.

First of all, try to plan ahead and this will allow you to be well organized and prepared. A pencil and a piece of paper are always good weapons in your battle again stress and making notes and planning what you have to do will help you a great deal.

We can sometimes feel overpowered which leads to stress when we have conflicting thoughts about the job in hand. This can be alleviated by not allowing this tidal wave of thoughts to sweep over us and take control.

It is essential to take the time the night before to prepare for what you have to do the following day. List the jobs you have to do in order of importance and set a time in which you would like to complete the task. When a total time has been calculated and you feel comfortable with it, draw a distinct line across the page. That is it - you are now looking at tomorrow's schedule!

Remember within your time frame to allow some moments for relaxation, having a bite to eat, and taking a quick spot of exercise. These are three useful parts of keeping the stress levels down.

Lee Iacocca also said "In times of great stress or adversity, its always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into something positive".

This again is great advice, although putting your energy into something positive when you are feeling stressed is sometimes easier said than done. Keeping a positive attitude takes effort and commitment but it is a well known fact that by maintaining a positive thinking stance you can steer your life into a new direction which is sure to lessen the stress levels and you will be a happy and well balanced individual.

One of the most important things to do is to cut out all the negative talk. Don't put this off until tomorrow - start right now! Each and every time you think a negative thought, repeat this out loud and make a conscious effort to change it into a positive. You can involve those around you who you trust by telling them you are trying to make a positive out of every negative and if they catch you not conforming to the rules, you have to pay a forfeit of some kind. Repetition is the way forward to change your train of thought and it may help to come up with a word you can say over and over again to yourself to get you into the right frame of mine. The word POSITIVE is a good place to start.

Avoid being in the company of those who view life pessimistically. They will only drag you down to their level and this is not what you need at the moment or at any time for that matter. Make sure you spend as much time as possible with the people who lift you up and make you happy.

Lastly, look for the humor in all of this. A good laugh is often the best medicine to lessen your stress levels. Its also good exercise for your face muscles too!