Does that headline sound like you? CNN reports that roughly 80 percent of people report feeling stress, largely due to the economy. Clearly, you’re not alone. That doesn’t mean can’t take steps to improve how you’re feeling. If you’re trying to avoid sucker punching your coworker, you might try some of the following tactics to stress less:

Take Five Minutes for Yourself

One of the culprits behind debilitating stress is a feeling of a loss of control. There are too many demands to meet, too many people to please, and not enough time or resources to do it all. Of course, for most of us, this isn’t actually true: it just feels that way. Bust this out-of-control feeling by forcing yourself to take five minutes to yourself. What you do in that five minutes is up to you: scream, quote angry Napoleon Dynamite moments, sing Aretha Franklin, meditate, or just breathe. The world won’t fall apart.  Take this moment to remember that you’re in control. Even if you don’t like them, your choices are yours. If you really had to, you could walk out the door. Once you accept your choices, the world can seem easier to handle—less looming, more manageable. In the worst case, you’re only five minutes behind.

Give Yourself a Treat

It’s hard to be angry when you’re in the throes of bliss. The bliss is up to you; I love enjoying a rare Pepsi, a fantastic kiss, or a good song. Soak in the happy feelings and let it squish the anger out. You only have room for so many raging emotions, so replace the anger with pure self-indulgent pleasure.

Help Someone Else

It sounds sappy, and it totally is. But helping someone else, someone who really needs it, is a great way to snap yourself out of an idiot-induced rage.  That may mean emailing a contact who needs a boost or just offering to dive into a sticky project. It gets you out of yourself, which is often the best tactic for yourself and the world at large.

Talk to a Friend Who Won’t Take You Too Seriously

I love bitching and moaning to my husband because he never lets me take it seriously. He sympathizes, he listens, and then he teases (either me or the situation I’m frustrated with). First, though, give your friend the heads-up that you’re just venting. You don’t need them to take any action beyond just listening to you as you get it off your chest. Then tell each other a terrible joke. It’s not a permanent fix, but it lets off some steam to avoid a crisis.

Acknowledge That You’re Pissed

Stop trying to play nice. Admit that you’re blood-boilingly angry. A big portion of your anger builds up, trying to get you to recognize a problem. If you keep ignoring it, you’re not going to automatically feel better.

As a Last Resort, Make Yourself Sick of Your Own Whining

Okay, I’m not big on self-pity and complaining without taking action. But if you just can’t stop feeling frustrated and angry, then give it a try. Write out your angry thoughts, speak them in your head over and over, whatever works for you. Do it in a Napoleon Dynamite voice. (Seriously, this is what works for me. I can’t help but crack up at how angry that character gets at small things. Gives me perspective.) At some point, you’re going to get sick of being helpless and angry. Some burdens we just have to carry until we’re ready to drop them. Speed the process up and get it over with as soon as possible.

This list is by no means exhaustive. It’s just what works for me. What works for you?

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