Stress doesn't always exhibit symptoms outwardly, but you know when you are stressed.

I have an "Out of the Box" solution that is fun and very effective.

Break out the bubbles!

What!? You ask.

Yea, keep a small bottle of bubbles at your desk at work or with in reach at home. Even in the car (especially if you ride during rush hour)

When you are felling stressed, take out your bubbles and begin to blow, Notice the calm steady breath you have to use to make proper bubbles. See your stress filling a bubble and being carried away.

This process will bring you present in the present so that you are not looping into the future with all its real or imagined demands. Or looping into the past l where there is nothing you can change anyway.

After blowing a few bubbles, close your eyes (NOT while your driving) and gently blow some more. Imagine that you are filling each bubble with your stress and that the bubbles are carrying your stress far away and popping it, dissolving it way outside of you. Continue blowing the bubbles, carefully filling each one with your stress and anxiety, letting the bubbles carry it all away until you feel present in the present and more relaxed.

 Today life is full of turmoil, deadlines, distractions, and demands. For many people, stress is so prevalent that it has become a way of life. Stress isn’t always bad. In small doses, it can help you perform under pressure and motivate you to do your best. But when you’re constantly running in Defcon 5, your mind and body and Soul pay the price. You can  recognize the signs and symptoms of stress and take steps to reduce its harmful effects.

Stress is a normal physical response to events that make you feel threatened or upset your balance in some way. When you sense danger—whether it’s real or imagined—the body's defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic process known as the “fight-or-flight-or-freeze” reaction, or the stress response.

The stress response is the body’s way of protecting you. When working properly, it helps you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations, stress can save your life—giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid an accident.

The stress response also helps you rise to meet challenges. Stress is what keeps you on your toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your concentration when you’re attempting the game-winning free throw, or drives you to study for an exam when you'd rather be watching TV.

But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing major damage to your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships, and your quality of life.