If there was a magic stress-busting pill, we think it would look just like this.

Stress is inevitable in our technology-ridden, lighting-paced, tornado-whirlwind lives. Heart Health Month is here to remind us – among many things – that stress also happens to be one of the leading causes of heart disease and heart attack. There are three types of stress: there’s Unavoidable Stress, which comes as a result of poor health, losing a job, or the tragic loss of a loved one. There’s Natural Stress, the kind we put on ourselves to be successful and meet our goals. And then there’s Avoidable Stress, such as running late, being disorganized and sweating the small stuff. Saying stress that many times just totally stressed me out.

Well, sadly there is no magic stress pill for any of it (at least not one that’s good for you), but there are some very specific things you can be doing NOW to relieve, manage and avoid it. Fight the beast with these 18 tangible things you can start doing right this second!

1. ACCEPT STRESS

Before we get started, hear me loud and clear: There will ALWAYS be stress in your life. Always! It will never be perfect; the most you can do is to not let it overwhelm you. YOU’RE in the driver’s seat, in control, and your goal is to keep stress packed in the trunk: You know it’s there and that you have to deal with it, but it isn’t screaming in the back seat for more Cheerios. Once you accept that stress is inevitable, you just have to learn to make the best of it. That’s where the rest of this list comes in.

2. CALL AN OLD FRIEND

This is therapeutic for so many reasons!  Creating and maintaining meaningful relationships will fulfill you and help you live joyfully. Expressing your feelings freely, like you can with an old friend, is a great way to relieve stress. It sure beats perusing photos of random people you went to high school with on Facebook.

3. LAUGH!

Carefree laughter is the OPPOSITE of stress, so you can quite literally turn a stressful situation around (temporarily, at least) by surrounding yourself with funny. Hit up a comedy club, call your funniest friend (which accomplishes #1 as well!), or resort to the world’s most ridiculous comedy parade on earth: YouTube. Start with THE FLIP SIDE – if you are a man or a woman, you MUST see this. And if you only have 8 seconds to spare… DARE YOU try to say this out loud.

4. PAUSE… THEN RESPOND

Things happen all the time that make us upset, annoyed and downright furious. BUT, next time something comes your way – PAUSE. Before reacting from the gut and letting your emotions fly, take a step back from the situation. Assemble your thoughts. This short moment of introspection could save you from a turning into your stress monster alter-ego.

5. CLEAN YOUR DESK

Papers everywhere, water bottles from god-knows-when, and twelve and half business cards laying around? I’m talking about my desk – and if I’m describing yours too, it’s time for an intervention. A cleaning tactic that’s worked for me lately is PRETEND CLEANING IS FUN. Smile! Put on music! Stretch in between paper piles! You’ll feel worlds better. Now on the count of three,  let’s both go get the Lysol. 1, 2…

6. TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR FINANCES

Yes, this one’s a little more complicated than watching a YouTube clip. Debt and money matters are the sources of so much stress in people’s lives, and reduced debt always equals reduced stress. Try LearnVest, a great resource geared toward women to help manage finances and “live your richest life.”

7. SLEEP PRETTY DARLING

Getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night is not only great for your skin and weight management (yes!) a good night’s sleep is guaranteed to help you deal better with daily stresses. Any amount of sleep deprivation diminishes mental performance, and this includes your threshold for dealing with problems. And annoying people.

8. VOLUNTEER

What is it you’re passionate about? Helping people? Animals? The environment? Do some research on local communities - VolunteerSpot is a good resouce for parents – and get started! It’ll not only relax you, but helping a worthy cause could help you look at your own ”stresses” in perspective. In fact, a study from the University of Michigan that followed 1,211 senior citizens for about seven years and found that those who volunteered just 40 hours a year lived longer than those who didn’t volunteer at all. See how some of our blogger friends give back.

9. FORGIVE SOMEONE

You can’t be fully calm while holding a grudge. It takes work and energy to stay angry at someone; energy that could be going towards volunteering, taking control of your finances, cleaning your desk… you get the picture. Cleanse yourself of negative energy by taking the healthy high road.

10. GET MOVING

You saw this one coming! Endorphins are your stress-free BFFs, and they are released from your pituitary gland every time you get moving. “Runner’s high,” which is the result of extreme endorphin release, has been known to create feelings of euphoria. You may not like the workout part, but you’ll always love the way you feel after it. It’ll not only reduce stress, exercising is your direct, high-speed highway to better heart health.

11. TEN-SECOND AROMATHERAPY

Take a whiff of a lemon, a mango, lavender, or a bouquet of flowers. It’s not just soothing; scientists in Japan have reported clinical evidence that inhaling certain fragrances alter gene activity and blood chemistry in ways that can reduce stress levels. Spas are really onto something with aromatherapy!

12. CREATE A NEW PINTEREST BOARD

Blogging, tweeting, tumbling, stumbling… all these social media activities are designed to be fun, relaxing and self-expressing… thus stress-reducing. The hottest new player in town, Pinterest, is arguably the most fun and therapeutic of them all. We’re obsessed (follow us!), so if you haven’t started yet, close out this blog post right now (well, maybe wait till you’re finished reading), create an account, and get pinning (de-stressing) 5 minutes ago.

13. TURN OFF YOUR PHONE FOR AN HOUR

Alas, there’s the flipside of social media. Being connected all day long CAN be work – especially when it’s your job. Ahem. As soon as you feel like social media is starting to take over, power down your technology and take a breather.

14. ARRIVE EARLY

One of the unnecessary daily stresses we encounter is that time period where you’re running late. You’re angry at traffic, you’re running down the sidewalk in heels like a lunatic (my M.O.), and the ONLY thing you can think about is how bad it is that you’re going to be late. Remove this stress from your life entirely by planning to get somewhere 15 minutes, even a half hour early. What better time to finish up those last few chapters of Hunger Games before the movie comes out?

15. DON’T TRY TO BE PERFECT

Because how stressful is that? If you set unrealistic goals for yourself, you’ll be constantly feeling like a failure. You don’t NEED to meet your husband in the next six months, get straight A’s, or go the gym every day in 2012. Let life take its course at YOUR pace. Don’t follow commandments – follow happiness.

16. CARB AWAY THE STRESS

You read that right. Complex carbohydrates such as oats, fruit, whole grains and brown rice can stimulate your body to produce stress-busting, soporific hormones in a stressful situation, and also balance blood sugar levels. On the other hand, carbs like sugar, white flour, breads, pasta and pastries causes a blood sugar spike, leading to stress. Choose the right carbs as your stress-fighting ally!

17. JUST BREATHE

For five minutes every day, sit by yourself – eyes closed and a smile on your face – and breathe consciously. This can be done as a morning ritual or to regroup in a stressful situation. As Elena Brower put it in her Daily Breathing Health Challenge: “Just sit and listen to your inner talk, and bring more breathing to those five minutes, without judgement. This is the most grounding, healing practice any of us can do.”

18. GO TO THE SPA!

Ahhhh, yes! The stress-buster you’ve been waiting for! There’s no better way to reduce stress than a trip to the spa – and it’s not just for the relaxation benefits. The healing touch of a massage or body treatment stimulates circulation and benefits long-term heart health.

By Sarah Jenks

Are you the type of person who hits snooze 3 times, finally jumps out of bed in a panic, takes a quick shower, throws on a passable (but disheveled) outfit, practically sprints to work then stuffs your face with a bagel while you furiously check your emails at your desk, hoping no one noticed you’re five minutes late again?

I used to have that morning rush every day when I worked in advertising. I had convinced myself that getting the extra 20 minutes of sleep (even though it was interrupted by my alarm twice) was something I couldn’t live without.

But when you wake up in a panic every morning and rush to work, you are setting yourself up for massive failure in the weight loss (and honestly, life) department.

Hear me out:

1. When the first emotion you feel when you wake up is panic, your stress level skyrockets, which we learned two weeks ago, can really pack on the pounds.

2. You don’t make time to have a healthy breakfast, which can set up killer cravings and crashes throughout the rest of the day.

3. You are wasting the perfect opportunity to get in some much needed “me-time”. How often do you eat when you’re bored, tired, overwhelmed, in need of a break, craving quiet? So often we turn to food for comfort and as an excuse for “me-time”, but if you start your morning with some peace and quiet, you’ll be less drained and depleted by 4pm.

4. By sleeping an extra 20 minutes, you think you’re going to feel more rested, but nothing will exhaust you faster than rushing around in the morning. Make sure to read my tip below for the best way to feel rested the whole day.

So it sounds good right? But HOW are you supposed to make the shift when getting up can feel impossible? The process is simple:

In the morning, plan a glorious morning routine. I get up at 6:45 and look forward to an hour and a half of relaxation. I put on a silk bathrobe, make rose tea, read a book, make a delicious breakfast, meditate and spend time and care on my appearance. Sometimes I workout, but only if I feel like it.

Not only does this time make me feel amazing and set me up for a day of health and well-being, but I look forward to getting up in the morning. If my mornings were spent running around like a chicken with my head cut off, I would hit snooze 3 times too.

Just try adding 20 minutes to your day by waking up early. You will be amazed by the results it will have on your body.

Sarah Jenks, founder of theBreathtakingBride.com, helps women fall in love with their bodies and lose weight through exploring the emotional reasons of why we eat. Sarah believes that you can talk about the benefits of broccoli until you are blue in the face, but real change won’t happen until we pull back the veil of fad diets and calorie counting to reveal the true cause of our over eating. Feeling lost about weight loss? Visit her website to download her free guide: “What to do if you feel fat, hopeless and ready to give up.”

By Sarah Jenks

It doesn’t have to be so complicated. Last week we discussed how weighing yourself is actually making you fat, and this week I am going to give you a weight loss tip that is easy as breathing. Well, it actually is breathing. Yes, something this simple can help you lose inches instantly. (If you took Elena Brower’s 5-minute conscious daily breathing challenge, you are on the right track!)

Most women are CONSTANTLY stressed out, and there’s this idea that women who are stressed and busy lose weight.  But the reality is that stress is the biggest cause of weight gain.  Most women think that the only way to reduce stress is to completely alter our lives, but the reality is that it can take just 10 seconds.

Stress is actually meant to keep us alive. When we’re stressed we go into fight or flight mode; our pulse quickens, our breathing becomes rapid and shallow, we release hormones like adrenaline, insulin and cortisol, and our blood flow moves away from our abdomen into our arms and legs and into our brain. This makes us really good at running away from lions. Unfortunately our brain cannot tell the difference between a near death experience and an approaching a deadline.

When you’re stressed, not only is your body holding onto to extra belly fat because of the cortisol increase, your body’s energy is so focused on surviving a lion attack, its not going to spend any energy on digesting your lunch.  All this undigested food (even if it’s a salad) just gets stored as junk on your thighs, belly and face.

The best way to bring yourself into a relaxed state anywhere, anytime is relaxed conscious breathing. Just take 5 long deep breaths – or check out the video above for some hypnotic breathing exercises. If you consciously try to breath like a relaxed person (even if you are not) you will trick your brain into thinking something like “Hey! I thought I was a nervous wreck, but I am breathing like a relaxed person, so I must be relaxed.” This will move you from a state of low digestive force to high digestive force and reduce your cortisol levels before you eat, helping you to lose weight.

Easy as breathing.

Sarah Jenks, founder of theBreathtakingBride.com, helps women fall in love with their bodies and lose weight through exploring the emotional reasons of why we eat.

Sarah believes that you can talk about the benefits of broccoli until you are blue in the face, but real change won’t happen until we pull back the veil of fad diets and calorie counting to reveal the true cause of our over eating. Feeling lost about weight loss? Visit her website to download her free guide: “What to do if you feel fat, hopeless and ready to give up.”

As you know, every Tuesday the cleverly informative Shelby Jones from the International Spa Association, Spa Week’s exclusive spa trade association partner, guest blogs here at Spa Week Daily offering tips and links to improve your business and personal life. Well, she and I were chatting last week (we get super chatty, btw) and decided it was time to take this column in a new direction: towards, um, the spa. She’s delivered some great stories, but since they ARE the international industry authority on all things spa related, why not bring you more hard spa core stuff you won’t find elsewhere?

So, starting next week, you’ll see a shift here to what I’m pretty sure we’re going to call: “Spa Glossary.” (Thoughts?) We’ll be introducing you to the cool, quirky treatments, spa trends, phrases and wellness buzzwords that are hot in the industry but would probably never come up over dinner… because you’ve never heard of them. Hope you like it! And here is the obligatory segue,  Shakespearean style.

Guest contributor: Shelby Jones, Public Relations Manager, ISPA

One of the most frequently asked questions we get from consumers here at ISPA is, “Why should I go to the spa?” The simple answer is stress. It’s the No. 1 reason why people seek out the spa around the globe. With no screaming kids, cell phones or work deadlines allowed,  it’s one of the last places where you can truly unplug and get away from all the outside noise. Treatments like massage, acupuncture and meditation can actually help reduce your stress (check out this stress advice from a Mayo Clinic doc).

So, why would anyone hesitate? While a spa experience sounds like a dream to most of us, it can be an intimidating prospect if you’ve never stepped foot inside a spa. The whole naked thing coupled with strange language like shiatsu, microdermabrasion and reflexology can send people heading for the door. The most important thing to know is that a spa treatment is all about you, so there’s no need to have any fears. Talk to the spa receptionist about what to expect before you book an appointment and let her know that it’s your first time. They’ll help make your experience great and answer all of your questions. Your therapist will help you sort out the best routine for becoming stress free.

Learn more about stress and the spa by visiting experienceispa.com.

If you’re in the spa industry, we encourage you to become a member of our partner ISPA; weekly emails with pointers like these are just one small part of the package to help you succeed!

Guest contributor: Shelby Jones, Public Relations Manager, ISPA

Are you still feeling post-tax day stress (that is if you didn’t think it was Wax Day)? We all have it, in fact, stress is the No. 1 reason why people go to the spa worldwide. Don’t fear because it just so happens that April is Stress Awareness Month (what a coincidence)! Spas have taken note and are here to help you deal with all that built up anxiety.

Take your tax refund and instead of blowing it, invest it in your health by booking a spa treatment. The World Health Organization reports that by 2020 the top five diseases will all be stress related. Take action now by getting a handle on your stress and booking a Spa Week treatment!

You’ll be saying “ahhh” in no time, and maybe even looking forward to tax season next year? Ok, that might be a bit of a stretch!

Like what you’re clicking? If you’re in the spa industry, we encourage you to become a member of our partner ISPA, the International Spa Association; weekly e-mails with pointers like these are just one small part of the package to help you succeed!