I want to say this up front and be emphatically clear. Stress is a self-induced state of mind and not brought on by external forces.

Most of us believe that stress is created by negative outside stimuli, when in fact just the opposite is true. Stress is brought on by how we think about the forces we perceive to be acting upon our lives.

For example, if you are thinking "I'll never get this report finished in time for the deadline," "This job demands an ungodly amount of my time...", it becomes easy to believe that if we can just complete our "to-do" list then the stress will be eliminated. Not true. Stress will always return as soon as the "to-do" list gets full because of the way we think about what we have "to-do."

Stress is always generated by our thinking and not by external circumstances. It is actually a state of mind that we control. In order to de-stress one must learn to think differently. You see, as stressful thoughts escalate then the entire stressful cycle escalates also.

As stressful thoughts are allowed to linger in our minds our moods are affected. It stands to reason, then, if we learn to change our thinking we can change our moods.

How do we do this? First we need to understand the cycle of stress. If we think angry thoughts we are going to feel anger. If we think sad thoughts we feel sad. Emotional states of mind will always follow our thought patterns.

Learn to pay careful attention to how you are feeling thoughout the day by pausing at differing intervals to see what you are thinking.

Then learn to shift your thinking by countering stressful thinking with positive thinking. Focus on one problem at a time util it is resolved. If you shift your thinking your mood will follow.

Unfortunately, most of us believe that if we work harder or faster we will get more done. What we need to do is learn to work smarter.

Finally, take a "mini vacation" twice a day. Take 5 minutes at mid-morning and mid-afternoon and intensely focus on one of your most pleasant memories. See this memory in vivid detail. Imagine yourself being there and truly re-live the pleasure. You'll be surprised at how refreshing the experience will be.

Stress is a state of mind that is self-induced...a learned behavior brought on by negative thinking. Therefore it can be unlearned by practicing positive thinking and staying focused.