From urgent deadlines to a busy workload piling up, stress can come on all too easily these days. This doesn’t benefit you or your clients, so here are 6 tips from Forbes about how to beat stress.

1. Speak up

   Don’t underestimate the power of voicing your opinion. Research conducted at the University of California in San Francisco found that people who have a harder time saying no are more prone to stress, burnout and even depression. Maybe your boss has yet another project with an urgent deadline for you, but you already have a report due and a lingering CPE webinar. Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion, many times things can be moved around so you can get your projects done effectively while keeping your sanity.

2. Appreciate what you have

   Feeling stressed? Take some time and think about what you’re grateful for. Studies show that this can reduce cortisol, the stress hormone, by 23 percent and lead to improved mood, energy and physical well-being.

3. Don’t ask ‘what if’

   The fastest way to increase your stress level is ask yourself “what if I did this differently,” or “what if this happens.” There are a million different variables than can cause situations (both good and bad) to go in a million different directions. Instead of spending time worrying about what might happen, focus on what you can control.

4. Disconnect occasionally

   Email sent directly to your smartphones leaves us open to the expectation that you are available for work 24/7. Which also leaves you vulnerable to constant stress. Pick blocks of time­ – whether it be the evening or over the weekend – to disconnect from your phone and enjoy spending time with your friends and family. You’ll be amazed at what this can do to relieve stress and improve your mood.

5. Sleep

   If you’ve heard it once you’ve heard it a million times: your body needs sleep. Experts can’t say enough about the importance of sleep to help manage your stress levels and increase your emotional intelligence. When you sleep, your brain literally recharges and organizes itself, leaving you fresh when you wake up in the morning. Sleep deprivation raises stress hormone levels on its own without other stressors present, so getting enough sleep prevents you from unintentionally adding more stress to your system.

6. Exercise

   Like the importance of sleep, the importance of exercise has been beaten to death over the years. Moving your body for even just ten minutes a day releases a neurotransmitter called GABA that reduce stress and helps you control your emotions. Exercise is the first thing pushed aside when tasks start to pile up, but putting the priority on exercising will help you feel better and help you get more work done.

Via Forbes.com