--- title: 12 Ways to Easily Eliminate Stress description: Remind yourself how unimportant your worries are in the big scheme of things. Making lots of decisions can burn you out. Automate as many things... canonical: https://time.com/3652212/easily-eliminate-stress/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-01-05T05:01:30.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-31T08:06:44.325Z article:section: Ideas og:title: 12 Ways to Easily Eliminate Stress og:description: Remind yourself how unimportant your worries are in the big scheme of things. Making lots of decisions can burn you out. 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It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=27f2d5cb-89e5-4a3a-82a1-8c98b79e1192&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1) by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Jan 5, 2015 5:01 AM UTC  Getty Images by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Jan 5, 2015 5:01 AM UTC 1. [Remind yourself](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-a-trick-for-keeping-calm-when-the-stake) how unimportant your worries are in the big scheme of things. 2. Making lots of decisions can burn you out. [Automate](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-get-more-done) as many things as you can. 3. Watching a video of a cute animal can [reduce heart rate and blood pressure in under a minute](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-quickly-relieve-stress). 4. Ladies, drink coffee. Guys, [don’t.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-coffee-help-us-cope-with-stressful-meetin) 5. Another key element of stress is where you focus your attention. Think about [benign outcomes](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-stress-out-less-and-reduce-worrying) or [concentrate on the positive](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-you-improve-depression-and-anxiety-with-a). 6. According to one study, the stress management technique that worked best was [deliberately planning your day so that stress is minimized.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-best-way-to-handle-stress) The trick to not worrying about work stuff while at home is to [make specific plans to address concerns before you leave the office](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-stop-worrying-about-projects-at-w). 7. The difference between a [fun challenge and stressful work](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-this-why-we-can-do-fun-stuff-for-hours-but) is often just a [feeling of control](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-key-to-dealing-with-stress). The best way to reduce job stress is to [get a clear idea of what is expected of you](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-significantly-reduce-job-stress). Stop working overtime; it’s [not worth it](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-working-overtime-worth-it). 8. [Art](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-art-reduce-anger-and-stress) reduces stress in men. Good music can [increase pain tolerance and decrease anxiety.](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-good-music-increase-pain-tolerance-and-de)Classical music is the [most relaxing genre](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-type-of-music-is-the-most-relaxing). 9. Booze [does reduce anxiety](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-booze-reduce-anxiety-and-fear) and [punching things](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-punching-things-make-men-feel-better) does make men feel better… which, frankly, explains a lot. 10. If you have to worry, [set aside a specific time during the day to do all your worrying](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-a-simple-trick-to-help-you-worry-less). Before a stressful event [write all your worries down](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-quickly-and-easily-reduce-worry-and-in). 11. Understand the secrets to [willpower](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/15-research-based-secrets-to-bulletproof-will), breaking [bad habits](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-the-most-effective-way-to-change-you-be), [productivity](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/10-ways-to-turn-yourself-into-a-productivity), beating [procrastination](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/7-steps-to-never-procrastinating-again) and achieving [goals](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/the-last-damn-thing-youll-ever-need-to-read-a). 12. No matter what happens, [you will probably be fine](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/will-you-be-able-to-cope-when-tragedy-strikes). _Still_ stressed? Here are 15 more: 1. [Talk](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-quickly-and-easily-increase-confi) to yourself. 2. [Lean back](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-quickly-and-easily-make-any-task-seem) instead of leaning forward. 3. Have more [sex](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/can-sex-improve-your-ability-to-deal-with-str). 4. [Watch](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/an-easy-way-to-reduce-stress-and-pain) [comedy](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-comedy-better-than-vitamins). 5. Spend more time [with friends](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-your-social-life-make-you-mentally-an). 6. Be [compassionate](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-reduce-stress). 7. Take [fish oil](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-a-safe-over-the-counter-way-to-treat). 8. Stand up [straight](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-a-quick-and-easy-way-to-make-yourself-t). 9. [Meditate](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-can-you-increase-your-attention-span-in-a). 10. [Garden](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-gardening-reduce-stress). 11. Chew [gum](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/a-quick-and-easy-way-to-relieve-stress). 12. Smell [vanilla](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-quickly-and-easily-reduce-anxiety). 13. [Nap](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/whats-an-easy-way-to-purge-negative-emotions). 14. Eat [salt](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/how-to-reduce-social-anxiety-in-the-tastiest). 15. Spend time in [nature](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/does-being-near-nature-reduce-stress). **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/05/12-ways-to-eliminate-stress/)**_._** **Join over 151,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD)**.** Related posts: [6 Hostage Negotiation Techniques That Will Get You What You Want](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2013/06/hostage-negotiation/) [How To Get People To Like You: 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior Expert](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/10/how-to-get-people-to-like-you/) [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/) _Read next:_ [_How to Read People Like Sherlock Holmes: 4 Insights From Research_](http://time.com/3650136/how-to-read-people/?xid=time%5Freadnext) [_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/?sl%5Fautoplay=true&xid=spl-fullbrief-article) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3652212/easily-eliminate-stress/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3652212/easily-eliminate-stress/"},"headline":"12 Ways to Easily Eliminate Stress","datePublished":"2015-01-05T05:01:30.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:06:44.325Z","description":"Remind yourself how unimportant your worries are in the big scheme of things. 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