[Stress] should never be the reason to bug you in whatever way possible.

But I'm really thankful that there are people who came to me and comforted me; one even offered to pray for me. At these moments, you will really treasure the people who care for you. It is at these moments that you will actually find out who your friends really are. Yet, I don't take these moments as an opportunity to test them.

People get stressed for different reasons. Some, like me, are stressed up because of the workload and the rushing deadlines; some are stressed due to relationship problems, family crises, peer pressure and so on. But come to think about it, are they really worth stressing you up? Not really, in fact, unless you allow them to do so and unless you don't know how to manage the stress. Having some stress is good for us mentally and emotionally, but seriously, it is actually not worth bugging you all the time. Knowing how to manage stress, for whatever reasons, may be the key towards looking at things in a more wider scope.

Stress can be our best friend, at the same time being our worst enemy. It can function to motivate us, yet greatly discourage us. Once again, it is down to how you handle stress. Whether the stress you are facing gives you a positive or negative outcome, it should never be left alone, and it should never be the reason to bug you in whatever way possible.

Different people have different methods of "de-stressing" themselves. It is good to get rid of stress once in a while, or more often, when you feel that this stress is taking a toll on you. Personally, I would recommend the following ways:

1. Talk to your close friends. This could be the best method to get rid of stress. Talking to a close buddy of yours allows you to share your problems and seek help if necessary. Sometimes what you need at that moment is just a comforting word. If you feel like it, ask some friends and go for an outing at some local mamak stall!
2. Exercising. Go for a jog, or a swim, to the gymnasium or even cycling! Exercising can really help you get rid of stress and allow you to keep things that you don't want to think about out of your head.
3. Listen to music. Some people love to listen to songs like Daniel Powter's "Bad Day" because it seems to really turn your bad moments into good ones. Well, based on the mood of the song, that seems like it. Some people would listen to some happy and exciting songs to instil some happiness in them. But personally, when I'm stressed or unhappy about something, I would turn on my instrumental collection and select even some of the most doleful, heart-rending or angry-sounding pieces to listen. For me, these pieces help me indirectly express my current emotions and level of stress. For those whose ears are sharp, they can understand how I feel based on my music.
4. Prayers. You may not be a very religious person, so if you don't do prayers, even some meditation will help. However, I would encourage that you try to pray besides just meditating. Not only will you find comfort, at the same time you build your relationship with the Almighty One. Sometimes, your best friend during hard times is the Unseen One (in fact, at all times).
5. (This one suits girls most) Shopping. Yes! Nothing can be more satisfying than to do go shopping in your local shopping mall and spend some money to buy some things you like! But, be warned! Though you may really enjoy spending, you might end up having double the stress, especially financial stress! Budget your spending and you will be able to enjoy your shopping without worrying about your financial status, at the same time relieving your stress.

On a more personal level, I don't recommend you to play computer games like the "renowned" Counter Strike and Defence of the Ancients (DotA). Well, not that you can't play it to have fun, but some people just can't accept defeat, so instead of releasing stress, they get extra stress. If you have stress that will cause you to break down at any moment, playing computer games just won't help much.

This is just a rough guide to how you can handle stress. There are many other ways of course, depending on your own taste. The methods I listed above are just some that I practise myself or have observed other people doing so.