There are so many suggestions on how to relieve stress out there and with good reason. There is so much stress in the world today. We are so busy being busy we have little time for anything else.

We are victims of a world gone mad. Think about it. We chase around hour after hour every day and we end up without any time. Money, success, careers and family are what drives us to keep going day in and day out and as a result we have become ’stressed out’; ticking time bombs ready to blow at any minute.

The symptoms of stress can be fatal leading to disease, chronic illness, hypertension and even heart attack. Many people don’t realize the stress they put themselves under on a daily basis. We have built in mechanisms in our bodies that help us when we are confronted with stressful situations. We were not however supposed deal with stress all the time.

So, what do you do to relieve stress and the effect it can have on your body? Before we get to the 5 tips for effective stress relief there are two things you should be doing, if you are not already, on a daily basis to free yourself from stress.

The first thing is to get off adrenaline. One of the best tips on how to relieve stress is to plan better. Life is always going to throw you a curve ball you don’t expect but this should not be happening to you all of the time. A little planning can be the best thing you can do to keep your stress levels down. Your health and well-being could be at stake.

The second thing is to drink less caffeine and if you are a smoker to cut back, or better yet, quit smoking. Caffeine and Nicotine put a lot of stress on your body. Do your best to cut back on these.

Now we can work through the 5 tips to avoid stress on your mind and body.

1. Exercise regularly
It doesn’t really matter what you consider exercise. You could go out for a jog or a brisk walk in the park or go to the gym and exercise there. Relaxing while you exercise is what is important as well as exercising on a regular basis. There really no point to an exercise if you are not enjoying it.

2. Relaxation and meditation
I know it sounds easy to say just relax or chill out but most people don’t know how to. There is no need to know how to meditate or anything like that, you should just be able to get some time by yourself without being disturbed.

3. Spoil yourself
This isn’t an invitation to go out and shop. It does mean doing something for yourself. What you could do is go to a spa and enjoy a relaxing massage or you could sit down to a good book and a little alone time.

4. Video and board games
Games can be a great way to relieve stress. Just be sure to avoid playing with competitive people as your game could end up being very tense and not enjoyable at all. There are some great free software games you can download off the internet that are great to help relieve stress

5. Sleep it off
Rest properly. Disruptions to your sleeping patterns can cause tremendous stress on your body. To rest properly your mind needs to be at rest. It may sound impossible but you can stop yourself from reacting to the thoughts that cause you to stress.

The best thing to do is to get started on just one of these ideas and then move on to the next when you feel you are ready. Remember that whatever you choose to do should help you to relax. There is no reason to wait any longer.

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Living cheaply is all about prioritizing and being cagey. Living cheaply is kind of like being on a diet. If you try to restrict yourself to raw vegetables and wheat thins, sooner or later you will break down and eat the contents of your fridge, and yes that includes the condiments. Living cheaply is not the same as living frugally.

Frugality is a lifestyle choice. It is in the eye of the beholder. It is about saving the most amount of money over the long term. Frugality , as I understand it, is to make wise choices when it comes to your expenses; it is the art of efficiently using your resources; it is the art of making the best of your life by staying within the limits of what you can afford. It is spending wisely and avoiding unnecessary expenses.

Frugality is usually applied to matters of consumption, and commonly points to simplicity of style; miserliness is frugality carried to an extreme, involving meanness of spirit, and a sordid mode of living. Economy is a virtue and parsimony a vice.

Frugality is living with less of what money can buy. It is the attempt to save money when you can, rather than spending it. Frugality is a great way to save money, especially if you don’t have a great deal of money coming in. It doesn’t mean I’m cheap, it means I have priorities, and avoid impulse buying. Frugality is very freeing and fulfilling. I have gained everything worthwhile and lost nothing of true value.

Personally I think frugality is a means to an end. For me I am frugal in order to save money so I can spend it on what I really care about most. I don’t think anyone can judge another as being “not frugal”. It’s not about a contest to see who can spend the least.

Rather than aiming for absolutes and risk failing miserably, incorporate frugality in your life in small doses. The change in your mindset will help you a lot in the long run, as opposed to small prizes by taking drastic steps.

Spending money on something unnecessary is wrong, but not spending money on something necessary is equally wrong. Spend less than you make. Don’t spend more than you can afford.

Material wealth does bring some happiness, but we generally overestimate how happy it actually makes us. Material purchases are about what you have. Experiential purchases are about who you are.

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