Regular exercise helps a person to regain their sense of control. Emotional well being is often reported as a by-product from folks who exercise regularly. Increased self-esteem and a sense of success often accompany consistent physical activity, which then extends to other areas of life. So during the day, try to take deep breaths and follow your breath. You will calm down your autonomic nervous system and add minutes to your life.
Progressive relaxation is another technique to reduce stress.
Simply tense each one of your muscles and then hold and release the tension, one area at a time. Starting from your feet and moving up to your head, this will take about 20 minutes. As you focus on tensing and releasing the tension on different muscles you may learn to relax your muscles on command. Begin by sitting quietly and engaging in simple, repetitive activity. Some people focus their attention on an object as you inhale and exhale slowly and deeply.