For a nice read about stress and the body's stress mechanisms you should have a look at Why Zebra's Don't Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky. The book is more about

For a nice read about stress and the body's stress mechanisms you should have a look at Why Zebra's Don't Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky. The book is more about the effects of stress than how to avoid it, but the author suggests: 1 - Exercise (pick something you enjoy, preferably aerobic) 2 - Meditation (seems to help while you're doing it, less clear on persistence of effects) 3 - Control - it's nice if you have (and feel) some control in your life. 4 - Have a system of social support. 5 - Religion and spirituality. Very loose ground here. 6 - Cognitive flexibility (different coping strategies for different stressors) Personally, I've found that regular exercise is a big stress reducer. Particularly heart rate interval training, alternating periods of over 90% max heart rate with recovery periods below 70% max heart rate.