More and more people seem to be stressed out. The fast pace of our modern lives guarantees a more stressful existence. Here is a list of the top 8 ways to reduce stress. Use it as a quick list to help you cope and to help you find new ways to beat what has become a chronic illness for some.

Here are the top 8 ways to beat stress:

1. Manage time: make sure that you take stock of the amount of time that you have each day and that you try and prioritize objectives. A little day planner is a great way to plan tasks so that you stay on schedule and you don’t feel that you are getting overwhelmed by the world around you. I suggest that you don’t get too serious with your task planning; just a rough idea of what you have to do on the day so that you know you have enough time for everything. Too much planning and scheduling will make you feel trapped and this will increase your stress. Remember also to allocate time to having fun and for restful breaks.

2. Communicate better: This does not seem like a stress reliever but it is very important to make an effort to communicate better. Much of our stress comes from interpersonal relations, if you can communicate with friends, coworkers and family better, you will find that your stress level will go down quite a bit. Try reading.

3. Gain inner balance: This means that you should take the time to get to know who you really are. You have to learn to set your personal standards. You must learn how to say “no” gracefully and to have the courage to follow your own path. You gain inner balance by discovering who you are and in order to do that, you need to be able to have the time to be by yourself. In your little day planner, make sure that you schedule lots of alone time.

4. Learn to relax: Learning to relax is the key to beating stress. Stress is really the buildup of tension. I recommend you read ‘How to relax’.

5. Make time to relax: It is so very important that you always make time for yourself. If you don’t do this, you will soon stress out completely and you will get sick. Many relax by doing something that allows them to completely forget themselves. Hobbies, television or video games can be incredibly soothing as long as they are not pursued to excess.

6. Take time off: One of the great benefits of managing time is being able to see that you do have some time left over to take a vacation or a break. You should make sure that you always make time to take small breaks when you are working, and you should also plan to take longer breaks and vacations on a regular basis. You don’t have to take a trip somewhere, just take some time from your regular work to break routine and spend as many days as you can just having fun and doing what you like to do.

7. Develop an interest: A hobby is a great way to relax and beat stress. It allows you to focus on other things and if it means that you have to go out and socialize then all the better. Just remember to do something that you want to do and not something that you think that you need to do. Start a walking club; a fun relaxing walk will do anyone wonders.

8. Improve your diet: We are what we eat, so treat yourself well. Stay away from too much refined sugar. Reduce the coffee intake, as this will greatly help with relaxation and anxious feelings. Make sure you get your vitamins and minerals. A good way to do this is to try and get creative and find fun and novel dishes that you can try. Look through health cookbooks in the store and see if you can find a dish that looks good, then try and cook it. Do this often and you might find that eating healthy is not so hard.

Stress can be overcome. Beating stress means relaxing and having more fun.Think of the battle against stress as an opportunity to do all those things that everyone else is telling you not to do.