This is a guest post by Kyle Simpson

We all have stressful days that drive us to the brink, and sometimes it’s hard to let go once it’s all over.  It’s hard to see it when you’re in the thick of things, but the world is full of things that seem divinely crafted to bring us back from the edge if we’ll just let them.  Here are seven things that I have done in the past to get reconnected with my inner calm.

Take a Walk — Now I happen to live in one of the prettiest places on Earth, so I can literally just step out my back door and keep going for a few miles, and end up surrounded by calming beauty.  But even if you have to drive a bit to get to a place that has that effect on you, go for it!  Just make sure the traffic won’t drive you crazy on the way.

Turn It Down — The lights, the sounds…everything.  When you’re stressed out, you get hypersensitive, and that’s not just emotionally.  If you can find a way to read a good book by candlelight with some Vivaldi playing softly in the background, you’re well on your way to a better night’s sleep.

Turn It Up – Of course, that’s not everyone’ cup of tea, and I’ve enjoyed breaking my stress’ back — by cranking up the Black Album and singing (shouting?), dancing, and generally acting the fool for a good half-hour or so.  It takes good neighbors (or distant neighbors), but when you feel like you need to scream, sometimes screaming really is the answer.

Rechannel Your Energy — If you’ve got a willing partner, you can relieve a lot of stress the old-fashioned way, but as attractive as the thought may be, that’s not your only option.  You can also redirect your energy into other projects, like creative arts.  I find that writing — particularly funny scenarios in which the causes of my stress get fired, dismembered, or tortured eternally — is an excellent outlet for my stress-energy.

Meditate — It’s almost cheesy, because it’s said so often, but it works.  Meditation (which is Chinese for “Sit still and shut up”) is an excellent way to step back from yourself and look at your problems from a third-person perspective.  That exercise alone is usually enough for me to start laughing out loud — usually at myself.

Kill Someone — OK, it’s usually a more guy-oriented pursuit, but I have to admit that on a couple of occasions, when I just couldn’t deal with reality anymore, I’ve headed over to by brother’s house and played one of his blow-everything-you-can-see-all-to-hell video games for an hour or so.  It’s not quite as satisfying as actually punching my boss in the face, but a few dozen death rattles can be a great stress reliever.

Count Your Blessings — If ‘meditate’ was cheesy, this is cheesecake…but it’s probably the single best stress-relief technique in the world.  It’s hard to get started when you’re upset, but if you can discipline yourself to sit down and start writing a list…there’s just no better way to conquer any amount of stress than to sit down and really think hard about everything that’s right and good in your life.

Kyle Simpson writes for Medical Billing and Coding Certification where you can find more information about a career and training in the medical field.