Considering the fact that this is coming from a guy who writes about how to prevent stress and manage anxiety symptoms, I suspect that this ironic little story will strike your funny bone. Let me tell you about a day I had recently -- there is a lesson to be learned here.

Did you ever have one of those days when you just did not want to get out of bed? I had been up until 3:30 the night before; and no, I was not up partying all night (alas, my party days are but a distant memory now). As happens sometimes, I was doing some research for a project I was working on and the clock got away from me.

As I lay there in bed dreading the thought of actually moving, I ran through the list of things that I had to get done: work on the website, straighten out some issues regarding a couple of business deals that were giving me problems, write TWO articles, write AND practice a speech for a presentation I had to give in a few days, and to somehow squeeze in time to get to the gym . . . Needless to say, I was feeling overwhelmed before I even set foot out of bed -- which is not a great way to start the day!

As my day progressed, the symptoms of stress and anxiety reared their ugly head. I yelled at my dog. I cursed the telephone as it tumbled to the floor and out of my reach behind the desk. I was feeling tired, anxious, frustrated, and generally cranky and by 9 o'clock that evening I was exhausted and I did not want to do another single thing, but I still had one article left to write.

I procrastinated. I looked at the computer screen. I checked email. I yelled at my dog again (poor fella, he's such a good boy and he didn't deserve it). I leaned back and stared at the ceiling when a notion struck me. Like a diamond bullet going a thousand miles an hour it struck me right in the center of my forehead. I started to laugh. I laughed hard and I laughed loud. My dog came over to see what the commotion was all about and I gave him a good belly rub that escalated into a five minute session of "where is the tennis ball hiding?"

I collapsed on the living room floor with a big smile on my face and I proceeded to stretch out my muscles and practice deep breathing exercise. By 9:30 I was feeling completely refreshed and in a fantastic mood! By 10:10 the article was finished and submitted. I watched a little TV and was in bed by 11 o'clock. It was a good night.

So, what is the moral of the story? The moral is that there really are simple tips and techniques for how to prevent stress that actually work! Stress management need not be complicated. Whenever you are feeling stressed, tense, overworked and anxious, try taking a break, having a good laugh, stretching out your muscles and breathing deeply for a few minutes.

Of all people, I should have known better. Had I practiced what I preach and taken a few breaks during the day a lot of aggravation could have been avoided. By the way, do you want to know the topic of the article that was driving me to distraction? You guessed it -- it was about how to prevent stress!