In today’s busy world almost everyone has stress in their lives. We are faced with stress in our lives from so many different areas. Not only do we have to deal with the usual stresses of work and home, but we are faced with environmental stressors as well.  We deal with traffic, street noise, and technology such as television, computers and phones, not to mention the fact that we are surrounded by artificial light day and night. Is it any wonder we feel edgy and overwhelmed?Even if you don’t realize it, your body begins to crave peace and quiet when faced with stressful situations. We need to recharge and revitalize so we can deal with the daily stress we face. If we don’t take the time to relieve stress and anxiety in our lives, we may be faced with depression, anxiety or physical illness.  By practicing stress management techniques we can prevent stress from building up and causing an emotional breakdown or a chronic disease.  There are many different types of stress management techniques that can be used to overcome the stress that we face. Some ways of dealing with stress can be as simple as stopping or overcoming the cause of the stress, being more assertive, or stepping away from the situation all together.  Much of the stress that we face comes from our jobs. There are two main causes of workplace stress: the job itself and the people we work with. Pressures at work can included difficult tasks that seem overwhelming, looming deadlines, and not having enough time to accomplish the work we need to do. Although workplace stress cannot always be avoided, it can be managed. If you find yourself constantly being interrupted while trying to accomplish tasks, see if you can alter your work schedule so you can work when there are fewer people in the office. If this isn’t possible, use time management techniques to arrange to complex tasks during the least stressful time of your workday.  We all have to deal with difficult people and in the work place this is a great cause of stress. Co-workers and uptight bosses can be a source of stress as well as upset customers. By learning to be more assertive you can voice your concerns without coming across as being aggressive or threatening. If necessary, find a book or an assertiveness training course that will help you to learn to set defined boundaries. By having boundaries and letting people know when they cross them you will free yourself from unneeded emotional stress caused by dealing with difficult people. Assertiveness techniques can also help with stressful family relationships as well.  Other techniques to help relieve workplace stress are simple things such as taking regular breaks, creating a clean and pleasant workspace, and having a definite starting and ending time to your day. Allowing time for an uninterrupted break helps you to recharge and go back to your work with a fresh outlook. A short 15 minute break can do wonders for your productivity. Also, if your work area is a place you feel comfortable and enjoy being, your quality of work will increase.  It is amazing how small changes such as these can reduce your work related stress. One of the best ways to deal with stress is to develop a positive attitude.  Remember that no one has a perfect life and that stressful situations happen to everyone. If you have the attitude that this too shall pass, you are freeing yourself from unnecessary anxiety and worry. We all have storms to weather, but we can learn to ride out the storm rather than be consumed by it. There is no cure all for stress and unfortunately stress will always be a part of our lives. But by learning to change our thinking from negative to positive, becoming more assertive, practicing time management skills and finding the good around us we will see that life is great. You can overcome stress and find the peace and contentment you desire.