Stress is the physical and emotional reaction you have to outside pressures. Whether you're uptight about something specific, such as tomorrow's history test, or something larger, like the way your parents seem to be fighting all the time, your response will likely be the same - a faster heartbeat, butterflies in your stomach, nightmares, the works.

While small doses of stress can be a good thing - think about how a deadline motivates you to write your term paper, or playing a better basketball team forces you to push your limits - too much of it can have severe effects. In fact, if your struggle with stress gets too extreme, it can lead to high blood pressure, appetite changes, insomnia, and depression.

So your mission is to find healthy ways to deal with stress. Although you should do whatever works for you (shopping, anyone?), the following ideas can make your stressful ride through life a little less bumpy.

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