In our latest issue, AC helped you understand what causes stress, how it can affect your life and where to reach out for help in the article “Basket Case” (page 31). We understand how much you have on your plate—school, cheer, friends, family, extracurriculars, the CW fall schedule—and because you have such little time to yourself, we’ve put together a list of natural (and most importantly, quick and easy) stress relievers so you can stop pulling your hair out and start breathing easy… literally.

Alter your eating habits. This should be super easy since you have to eat every day anyway, right? Certain vitamins and minerals are awesome for staving off stress, like C, E, B, iron, zinc and folic acid. Try incorporating more fruits, veggies, milk, almonds, beef and cottage cheese into your diet. And avoid processed sugar like the plague!

Get your brain into endorphin overload by exercising outside of cheer practice. When endorphins are released in your brain, you feel happier! Even a brisk walk on a Saturday morning will leave you feeling more carefree and energized so you can enjoy your weekend. If you’re not feeling a weekend workout, pop in a DVD that makes you laugh or indulge in a piece of chocolate. These will also release endorphins and brighten your mood.

Relax your mind and body with some simple meditation. According to the Mayo Clinic, as a beginner, it’s best if you find a quiet place free of distractions and get yourself in a comfy position. Start by breathing in and out deeply through your nostrils using the muscles of your diaphragm instead of your shoulders, neck and upper chest. Make sure to focus your attention on a mantra (a word or phrase you repeat over and over, like “peace, not stress,” “serenity now,” or “feel the calm”), an object or your own breathing to quiet your racing thoughts. The goal is to slow and deepen your breaths, making it easier to relax your mind and body. As you get more comfortable with meditation, you’ll find it easier to do in even the most distracting, stressful situations.

Take your mind somewhere else with a book, an instrument or a hobby. Lose yourself (and your stress) in something pleasurable that you’re not committed to. Life is filled with obligations, which is where most stress originates.

When you have some down time, open a book, forget about what’s going on in your life and just enjoy the story. Or pick up an instrument and teach yourself how to play, start collecting new wave records from the ’80s or join a club outside of school. The point is to do something for you. You’ll be amazed at how relaxing and euphoric it feels to engage yourself in an activity not scribbled into your hectic schedule.

Go ahead and pamper yourself! Take a good, old-fashioned bubble bath. Throw a playlist on your iPod of all your fave tracks. Fill the tub with warm water, nose-tickling bubble bath and soothing bath oils. Think luxury. Dim the bathroom lights, put on your headphones and forget about whatever’s going on outside the bathroom door.

When your stressful day-to-day routine gets to be too much, just go on vacation. OK, maybe not a real vacation complete with plane, palm trees and cute boys with accents, but a mini-vaca to get out of your world, even for a few hours. Take a day trip to the nearest city or bustling small town with your parents or pals. Never tried Thai food? Try it on your mini-vaca! Take a break from your hometown, and get swept up in the excitement that comes with a new place and new experiences. By the time you get home, you’ll be a new you, with a new taste for exotic cuisine.

Catch up on your sleep. This can prove especially difficult since stress can affect your sleep, and lack of sleep can increase your stress level. To eradicate this double-edged sword, there are a few things you can do. Remember when your parents made you go to bed at the same time every night, no questions asked? Well, you need to be that strict with yourself. If you’re going to bed at different times each night, it’s going to be that much harder to fall asleep.

You should also let your mind calm down a few hours before you go to bed. Instead of chilling out when you get home from school or practice and saving homework until the end of the night, reverse it. Your brain needs more than 10 minutes before lights out to relax after biology homework.

Put down the coffee, Red Bull, soda or whatever other caffeine-laden product you’re consuming too late in the day. If it’s 6 pm, and you’re going to the fridge for another Pepsi, it’s going to be challenging to find sleep when you need it later on.

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