Do you have stress? Does it feel good? 

Remember the last time when you were stressed? How much of your mind did it occupy?

Did it take days, weeks or even months for you to get back to normal? 

Now, remember that time when you did not have any stress? Were you relaxed and thinking clearly? Did you make better decisions? 

What about that time when you became too relaxed and complacent? Did you make mistakes? Did you miss opportunities you usually wouldn't? 

A study says that if we don't have stress, then we would not exist. A small amount of tension helps us focus on things that are important to us. We tend to be serious about our work and our lives. 

The challenge becomes when we overthink. We go too deep into the stressed thinking and start reacting rather than responding. 

According to renowned author and speaker Nick Hall, Stress is not the main problem. It's our response to stress and our ability to recover from the stress that is the culprit. 

We can never be stress-free. So, rather than focusing on a life of being stress-free, we should concentrate on practising routines that will help us recover faster. The sooner we can recover, the less we will be impacted by it, and the better our lives can be. 

So what can we do:

* Practice gratitude. When we are thankful for everything we have in our lives, we can deal with stress much better. 

* Practice being aware of your stress triggers. When they are active, you will become angry, frustrated, sad, fearful, guilty and shameful. 

* Identify things in your daily routine that help you relax. It could be deep breathing, listening to music, singing, reading etc. 

* Practice distracting yourself each time a negative thought comes into your mind and replace it with activities that relax you

Our goal in life shouldn't be freedom from stress. Instead, we should focus our energies on recovery and practice routines that keep us relaxed.