Learn to manage your stress in 6 minutes

Stress is normal, and dealing with it in a healthy manner is important.

Life is full of challenges, whether it's school, work, money, relationships, health, or major life changes.

All people have at some point in their lives faced the pressure of dealing with these issues while having to take care of themselves as well. This can be hard!

Stress management is an acquired skill, and often something you learn through life experience. But there are strategies you can use to help you prevent, cope with, and reduce stress in ways that are physically, mentally and emotionally healthy — resulting in better productivity and overall wellbeing.

Not only will your body thank you, but research shows that exercise reduces stress and anxiety.

It has been proven to decrease our stress hormone levels and increase endorphins, which help relieve pain and elevate our mood.

Sounds like something we all need!

Feeling lazy? Don't have the time?

Studies show even low-intensity exercise (such as walking and doing housework) can boost your mood. So get moving!

We can all do with some more sleep!

The problem is that stress affects the amount and quality of sleep that you get — and in turn, lack of sleep can contribute to stress by making you feel more irritable and exhausted.

Break this cycle by getting enough good quality sleep at night.

Sleeping can make you more productive.

Cutting back on sleep to catch up with deadlines for school or work can backfire on you. Just one less hour of sleep can decrease your focus, increase your response time, and make you more likely to make bad decisions. Skimping on sleep has a price!

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Stress is a part of life and is nothing to be ashamed of. Share your feelings with someone you can trust.

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Venting in written form can be just as mentally and emotionally relieving. Write it all out!

Whether it's reading a book, playing a sport, spending time with your friends, or knitting, make time in your life for the things you love and enjoy. Leisure is great at reducing stress and improving health in the long term.

We only have so many resources to manage the different areas in our lives and deal with the issues that come our way. As we try to get more done and fix more problems, it's easy to put our health and wellbeing on the back burner.

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Balance is key.

You need to be in a healthy state of body and mind in order to work well. This means putting yourself first and prioritizing your needs.

The best way to prioritize your health and wellbeing is to schedule time in your day for stress-reducing and mood-boosting activities. This allows you to not just manage your stress levels but also prevent stress in the future.