There are so many suggestions on how to relieve stress out there and with good reason. The world is a very stressful place these days. We are so busy being busy we have little time for anything else.

Our lives are a result of the crazy world we live in. Think about it. We chase around hour after hour every day and we end up without any 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. Our bodies were made to help us in stressful, fight or flight, situations when we need adrenaline quickly to protect ourselves. We were not however supposed deal with stress all the time.

So how does one relieve stress and avoid the effects of it on the body? Before we get to the 5 points on effective stress relief there are two things you should think about doing for yourself on a daily basis to avoid stress.

The first thing is to get off adrenaline. One of the best tips on how to relieve stress is to plan better. Life is always going to throw you a curve ball you don't expect but this should not be happening to you all of 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. Nicotine and caffeine can cause harmful stress to the body. Cut them out as much as possible.

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

1. Get regular exercise
It’s not really important what exercise means to you. You could go out for a jog or a brisk walk in the park or go to the gym and exercise there. Regular exercise is what is important and so is making sure you are relaxed while doing it. 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. There is no need to know how to meditate or anything like that, you should just be able to get some time by yourself without being disturbed.

3. Go out and spoil yourself
This isn't an invitation to go out and shop. It does mean doing something for yourself. What you could do is go to a spa and enjoy a relaxing massage or you could sit down to a good book and a little alone time.

4. Video and board games
Games can be excellent stress relievers. It may be best not to play with people who are too competitive though as the game could end up being even more stressful. There are some great free software games you can download off the internet that are great to help relieve stress

5. Make sure you sleep well
Rest properly. Disruptions to your sleeping patterns can cause tremendous stress on your body. To rest properly your mind needs to be at rest. The simplest way to control your constant thinking is to not react to negative thoughts as this can cause you to stress.

The best thing to do is to get started on just one of these ideas and then move on to the next when you feel you are ready. Remember that you should be relaxing no matter what you choose to do. Start today.