As human beings we often find ourselves in tense situations; however, stressful and challenging situations are a part of life and all that we can do is learn to deal or cope with them better.

Stress may find you when you’re prepping for your exams, when you’re applying for new jobs or going to interviews, when you’re dealing with family members who deal with their own mental illnesses or if you just have general stress and anxiety about the world in general.

Instead of viewing stress as an enemy, you can begin to think of it as your friend, your friend that occasionally visits you from time to time. Come to terms with the fact that stress is inevitable and you may feel better when it visits you out of the blue, “Oh, you again?!”

Life is too short to be taken too seriously so go ahead and laugh it out every time you come across your friend, the stress.

Another technique that has proven to reduce stress is to practice breathing exercises. How does breathing help in reducing stress, you ask? Well becoming conscious of your breathing brings you back into the present moment, it gives you time to think before making a decision.

Do you to make a rational decision in a stressful situation? Take a step back, inhale consciously and exhale consciously. Bringing yourself into the present moment reminds you of how things really are rather than how our mind sends us spiraling.

Breathing exercises during times when you’re calm can also help how you respond when you do come across a stressful situation.

Try the 4-7-8 breathing technique. How does that work? It’s quite simple! You start by breathing in for 4 seconds, holding in your breath for 7 seconds and then exhaling your breath for 8 seconds.

● 4 for inhale ● 7 to hold ● 8 to release

Everything takes time and so will this, give yourself a break and try again and again and again. Consistency is what gets most of us where we need to go so try these out and hope you have a beautiful day ahead!