How do you react to stress? Do you get dizzy? Do you quickly pull out a cigarette and puff away? Do you get an upset stomach? Do you run off and look for alcoholic drinks? Like it or not, we all could be plagued by stress and there is no way to fully control or avoid all of them. What we could learn however, is the right way to respond or deal with our stress.

Before we talk about the right ways to deal with stress; let's first look at some of the wrong ways to deal with stress. It's unfortunate that many people think that the wrong ways are the right ways.

Some of the typical examples of wrong ways to deal with stress are:

- Excessive alcohol consumption

- Excessive smoking, eating or even shopping (or overspending)

- Use of illicit drugs

- Acting stupidly or behaving violently

- Some even go to an extreme such as risky sex practices.

All the above actions just mask the stress for a short period of time; they don't address the root cause. More often than not, these actions lead to even more stress. So remember to stay clear from all these WRONG ways to deal with stress.

The Right Ways To Deal With Stress

The first thing you need to do is trying to identify the root cause of your stress and see if it's something that you can eliminate or have to live with it. For example, if you feel stressed out by your job because of overwork, you'll need to identify the cause first. Is it because lack of manpower or is it due to poor planning, scheduling and delegating? It's a lot more effective if you start dealing with stress from its root.

Many people feel that they're stressed out because they hate their jobs. But, I think that this sounds more like an "excuse". Often times, it's because of lack of RESPONSIBILITY on your part that makes you think that you hate your job. So, if you say that you're stressed out because you hate your job, start asking yourself these questions: "What is your duty for your job? Can you define it in a single sentence? If you hate your job, why did you agree to work there in the first place?". Often times, it's the duty or responsibility that is not clearly defined that causes people to feel stressed out or hate their jobs.

Of course, there are myriad ways of dealing with stress such as breathing exercises, yoga, meditation, massage therapy, etc. All these are good or positive responses to stress; but the stress won't go away until you eliminate its root cause. So, start at the root cause, then find the right method to deal with stress.