There are plenty of resources which teach you how to relieve stress and it is no surprise. The world is a very stressful place these days. We are so busy being busy we have little time for anything else.

We are the result of a world gone crazy. Think about it. We run around like crazy all day just so we don't have enough 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. Half the time we don't even know the kind of stress we put ourselves through. We have built in mechanisms in our bodies that help us when we are confronted with stressful situations. We were not however supposed to deal with stress all the time.

So how does one go about relieving the effects of stress on your body? In a moment you will get a chance to read 5 tips to effective stress relief but before you do there are two things that you should be doing on a daily basis to help you deal with stress.

The first thing is to get off adrenaline. One of the best tips on how to relieve stress is to plan better. There are situations in life that are unavoidable but this should be the exception and not be happening all the time. A little planning can be the best thing you can do to keep your stress levels down. Remember that your life could be on the line.

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. Where possible try to avoid them.

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

1. Regular exercise
Regardless of what your definition of exercise is. It could be jogging or taking a long brisk walk or even doing a workout at the gym. What is critical is that you exercise on a regular basis and that you are relaxing when doing so. If you are not enjoying the exercise you are doing then there is really no point.

2. Relaxation and meditation
I know it sounds easy to say just relax or chill out but most people don't know how to. You don't have to know the art of meditation in order to just get a little uninterrupted time for yourself on a consistent basis.

3. Treat yourself
Ladies this does not mean go on a shopping spree. It does mean doing something for yourself. You could take some time to be alone without any distractions and just enjoy the pleasure of your own company.

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. Get some decent sleep
Get proper rest. Interrupting your sleeping habits can cause serious stress on your mind and body. Resting means not constantly thinking and worrying. It may sound impossible but you can stop yourself from reacting to the thoughts that cause you to stress.

Don't feel pressure to start on all of these ideas just try one to start off with and make sure it works for you. It is important to relax no matter what you do. Don't wait start today.