But it’s just too easy so you forget about it and go slogging through your stressed out life wishing you could untie the Gordian knot of too many things to do and not enough time to do them, work, home, family,  the stress of a daily commute all the while moving faster and faster, adding more to your list of things to do.

Because, many of you think, the way to making things better should be hard, complex, some kind of long range plan, which may be true for long range solutions and accomplishment of goals, but isn’t at all true when it comes to lightening your mood and having a less stressed out day.

I don’t know why people feel like they have to have the entire solution to the problem and everything fixed or changed before they can experience less daily stress but they do, I’ve witnessed this phenomenon for 25 years now.

So here it is. Do it three times a day, O.K. one time a day and work up to two or three and notice the difference in how much less stress you feel. It’s like letting the air out of a balloon. You will notice a difference.

BREATHE

Stop thinking about what you’re thinking and take one minute to do this simple but effective exercise.

Take in a long, slow breath, until your belly comes forward (then you’ll know you’re using your diaphragm and getting in plenty of air).

Hold it for just a moment and slowly exhale, trying to touch your belly button to your spine.

And again, until you’ve done this five times, five long, slow breathes in and five slow exhalations out, preferably in through your nose and out through your mouth (you don’t have to use your mouth if you’re in a public place and don’t want to draw attention to yourself, it works anyway).

With each exhalation imagine blowing stress out of your body.

Notice how nice it feels to both your body and brain, moments of pure relaxation. It seems so simple that it must not work but it really does. If you become mindful about it and learn to do it on a daily basis you will find that this easy exercise can create a calmer, more relaxed you.