With work comes a lot of stress and I’m sure that’s familiar territory to us all.

Oh boy. It’s been a while since I last blogged. Jeez… In my defense, these past two months have been busier than my entire freshman year of college. 

My track record with stress has been less-than-stellar. In the past, I’ve been prone to anxiety attacks and temper tantrums. My poor parents (though many times the source of my stress!) have been witness to it all, and yet continue to have black hairs left. In college, I had to bribe my sophomore year roommates with baked goods for not kicking me out of our apartment. You only think I’m joking.

With that said, I like to think I’ve grown quite a lot since then. That is not to say that I’m not stressed, but I’ve learned of effective coping mechanisms. Some items on this list (perhaps even all) will sound very obvious and you might even be wondering, “Wait—she gets paid to write this?!” The answer is no, I do not get paid to write (or I would be fired by now!). But everything on this list has proven effective for me and I hope, if you haven’t already tried these things, they will prove effective for you as well.

1. Check out 8tracks

The truth is, I’m often the last to know about things. I only found out about 8tracks, an internet “radio” site where people share playlists, about a month ago. One of my work friends introduced me to the site one day when I messaged her to vent about something that had happened. She introduced me to a playlist for people having a crummy day. The songs on the playlist were very soothing, alternative, and most importantly—tranquilizing. It totally did the trick. The thing about 8tracks is that users upload playlists. There are thousands of playlists—some great for studying, some great for cheering you up, some great for partying, etc.

I personally love listening to international music (specifically French and Romanian pop) but that might be because not being able to understand the lyrics allows me to truly “drift” away.

2. Walk around

My dad swears by this and he takes a lot of walks. But maybe that’s why he’s a perpetually calm and goofy guy. Lately, I’ve been following his advice and going out for long walks when things get especially tense. Provided you don’t do this too late or somewhere sketchy, you’ll be amazed by the therapeutic effects of a simple walk. Sometimes I leave work and check out my friend Barack’s crib, which is about a 10-minute walk from the office. In that 10 minutes, I’m already 110 times more relaxed than I was before. So if you have a few minutes to de-stress, plug in the earplugs and take a light stroll.

3. Take a coffee break

Starbucks doesn’t count. I’m talking about chilling in a cozy café with sofas and fireplaces. Perhaps there’s coffee art somewhere in the picture, perhaps not. Like me now—I’m lounging on a couch in a lovely little coffee shop outside of my apartment, listening to Francoise Hardy, and staring outside at an old church with beautiful stained glass windows. I like to think of this place as a sanctuary in many ways. There’s nothing quite like escaping to a cozy coffee shop and just reminiscing.

4. Sip some wine

I’m almost afraid to type this out. My 11-year old cousin (who acts five) recently admitted she found this blog online. Being the little rascal that she is, I bet she’d probably blab to our family that I have a drinking problem…

Kid, I don’t have a drinking problem. I’m also not advocating anyone take more than a small sip of wine. But even just a little bit of red wine before bed can be highly effective. There’s something about sipping on red wine, while watching Frasier in bed that helps me unwind.

5. Catch up on old shows

I absolutely love Frasier. My friends often poke fun of me for being lost in the 90s. But Frasier is, hands down, my obsession. I have seen every episode at least six times and can quote half of them. Yet it never ceases to cheer me up when I’m having an off day.

You may not be as into Frasier as I am and that’s totally okay. But pick a show that you love and something that’s preferably a comedy, so you don’t have to think too hard (lol). Maybe even a romantic comedy (if you’re confident enough about yourself to realize that rom coms are totally not realistic). Grab a glass of wine and you’re set.

6. Plan an exciting weekend

A friend of mine recently asked me what makes me happy. I replied, “Fridays”. Perhaps because it’s both the end of the work week and the beginning of the weekend that it always puts me in a good mood. Every week, I look forward to the next Friday. I know it will come around soon enough and that’s enough to keep me going, despite everything that is on my plate. It’s always important to have something to look forward to, even if it’s something as simple as a day of the week. Make exciting weekend plans and tell yourself that you might be stressed now, but having the time of your life in a couple of days!

Do you have any creative stress-fighting solutions? Tell us what works for you in our comments section below or tweet us at @mscareergirl now!