Stress affects everyone at some point in life. Reducing stress has become increasingly difficult for many people and managing stress successfully differs from one person to the next.

The first step in reducing stress is recognizing it and the best way to recognize stress is to learn what creates it. It is important that people learn to recognize what is creating the stress because only then can they work to reduce it.

There are four basic steps in de-stressing which prepare one for recognizing stressors. It starts with knowing how it feels not to be stressed. Stress is natural and we will encounter it no matter what. Knowing how it feels not to be stressed is simply learning basic techniques in relaxation.

The first step is stillness. Sit still for a few minutes a day. This helps the mind to relax. Then, deep breathing while sitting still, visualization, and reflection aid in mental refocusing. This allows the mind and the body to connect.