"There is more than one way to skin a cat."

This quote can help you deal with frustration, grief, anxiety, and yes, stress. As a stressed-out person, I know how it feels! Do not lose hope. Believe me, there are many ways to deal with stress.

Having a negative perspective in life and carrying the burden of problems that do not directly concern you can scratch away the little joy and happiness that you have. You cannot blame other people for allowing stress to affect them; they have their own reasons. You, too, have your own reason for allowing stress to weigh you down.

There are several ways to manage stress. Through constant practice, you can eventually remove stress out of your life. This article is about a seven-day course on how to manage stress effortlessly.

1) Recognize that stress has a good side
The human body has a natural "fight or flight" response that may lead to stress. In this case, stress can provide a burst of energy that will enhance your performance at the right moment. I have yet to see a top sportsman totally relaxed before a big competition. Use stress wisely. Use it to push yourself a bit harder when it counts most.

2) Discover your trigger buttons and learn to address them. Think of these words: presentations, interviews, meeting, giving difficult feedback, and tight deadlines. What do you feel? In my case, my heart rate is cranking up as I am writing these words down!

Go ahead. Make your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Do presentations to a specific audience make you tense? Does one particular project cause more stress? Does drinking too much coffee affect your mood?

Knowing your stress triggers is just the first step. With this information, you will be armed with the necessary skills to overcome tense feelings. Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra resources? Do you need to switch to decaf?

3) Learn from the best
Be observant. When people are losing their heads, who remains calm? Observe the calm person. Is he doing something different? What is his attitude? What language does he use? Is he trained and experienced?

Figure it out from afar or chat with him. Learn from the best stress manager and copy what he does.

4) Practice the 7-11 breathing technique
I learned this technique from my gym instructor. You can achieve total relaxation by using heavy breathing. Breathe in slowly as you count up to 7, then exhale slowly in your mouth as you count up to 11. Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows. Your sweaty palms will dry off and things will start to feel more normal.

5) Avoid stress sneezers
Highly stressed people sneeze stress germs indiscriminately and before you know it, you are infected too!

Protect yourself by limiting your contact with them. If you have the inclination, play the role of a stress doctor and teach others how to manage stress.

6) Give stressful thoughts the red light
Stress is often caused by excessive worries about the future. Most of these things never happen, so why waste all that energy worrying needlessly? Give stressful thoughts the red light! Stop immediately!

7) Get complete rest and sleep
Lack of sleep, poor diet, and no exercise wreak havoc on your body and mind. All these lead to stress. Take a breather.

Stress can be a total drag, but it should not hinder you from finding the inner peace of mind that you wanted for a long time. In any case, you could always go to the Bahamas and bask under the summer sun!