Two-thirds of Americans say they need help for stress. (Goldstein, 2013) So in addition to the prevention and management techniques already discussed, the next two sections will explore ways to help you better cope with the stress in your life:

1. Eat the right foods to help relieve stress
Fresh or canned salmon or tuna both contain cortisol-regulating magnesium, which can get depleted during stressful times, leading to headache and fatigue. These foods are also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which help prevent surges in stress hormones.

2. Munch it out
On a similar note, munching on crisp foods can be the oral equivalent of squeezing a stress ball, since chewing releases built up pressure. Things like baby carrots, celery sticks, apple slices, nuts, and gum are all foods that can trigger this response and help you cope with stress.

3. Drink tea to help with stress
Some studies have suggested that drinking black tea can reduce a person’s levels of the stress hormone cortisol by an average of 47%. Create a relaxing ritual around a cup or two a day, and it may help to relieve stress even further.

4. Take vitamins to help relieve stress
Some doctors believe that B-complex vitamins help to relieve fatigue, improve your mood and soothe nerves. (Boone, 2012) While the jury is still out on this one, it certainly couldn’t hurt.

5. Distract yourself to help cope with stress
When you notice yourself feeling stressed, take a mental distraction. For example, keeping crossword puzzles, Sudoku and word searches around can help you counteract the stress response. Do these for a few minutes and then go back to what you were doing.

6. Use your eyes to help reduce stress
When you start to feel stressed, try moving your eyes back and forth from left to right in rapid succession, as if you are watching a ping-pong match. As silly as it may sound, this occupies your brain and disrupts the stress response in your body. Just don’t try it when you’re talking to others, or they may assume you’ve gone mad.

7. Singing a Tune
A 2013 study from Sweden found that certain aspects of singing can prompt people to adopt a calm breathing pattern, much like that associated with Yoga. So if you are feeling stressed, sing softly a happy tune which help disrupt the physiological stress response in your body.