"Worry never travels alone, fear always rides along." Anonymous

Forty percent of our daily worries never happen, according to the Centers for Disease, Control, and Prevention (CDC). Thirty percent of them happened in the past, 12 percent are about possible illness, and 10 percent of it is none of our business.This leaves eight percent we should actually be concerned about. 

Daily demands of life causes stress that is inevitable. As college students, we feel the strain and tension of stress even over the smallest situations. We tend to feel frustrated, anxious, angry and, ultimately, may become depressed. The psychologist famous for creating the Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Abraham Maslow, believed that stresses humans experience emanate from, either, wants or fears. 

Fear is created when we realize we cannot control the outcome. Why worry about something that has not happened or already did? This is a silly mentality that a lot of us still struggle with. Our wants are usually unrealistic goals and perceptions of life. Most of our stress is self inflicted, you have no one else to blame but yourself.

Let's say you hit the snooze button twice, realizing you have class in 30 minutes, and you jump out of bed. Not only are you late, but you just missed the bus. The next bus arrives after 15 minutes of waiting. On the way to Evansdale campus, you hit traffic. A usual 10 minute commute becomes a 30 minute terror. The whole day seems to go downhill, circumstance after circumstance. Yes, you can blame Morgantown traffic, or the fact that we need better transportation. What it really comes down to, is you overslept.

Identify your issues and put them into perspective. Taking responsibility will help keep you away from avoidable events. 

Generally, it takes two weeks to practice a new attitude and behavior. These 15 stress reducers have been proven by CDC to work efficiently. 

1. Don't rely on your memory. Keep an agenda and write down every thing you have to remember. This will help you stay organized and avoid double booking or taking on too much in one week.

2. Stay out of trouble. "Do nothing, which after being done, leads you to lie."

3. Procrastinate no more. Whatever you want to do tomorrow, do today; whatever you want to do today, do now. 

4. Relax your standards. Be more realistic with yourself.

5. Count your blessings. Remember, it could be worse. 

6. Say no! You know that you do not have time for certain activities. Stop saying, yes, because you want to please everyone. You are just adding to your stress, and it accumulates. 

7. Disconnect from the world. Unplugging from your phone and social media is one of the simplest meditations. Take a long bath, read, or go on a hike, and leave your phone behind. 

8. Good vibes. Surround yourself around people who are non-worriers. Nothing is worse then being friends with someone who is constantly complaining and upset. 

9. Bare necessities. Remember to eat clean and healthy meals daily, sleep at least eight hours a day, and exercise five times a week.

10. Talk it out. Clear your mind and spill your feelings. Nothing good comes out of holding in what you have to say.

11. Life happens. Therefore, you should learn to live one day at a time. Stop thinking about all the "what ifs." 

12. Eliminate destructive talk. "I'm too fat... I'm not smart enough..." 

13. Think before you act. Forget about counting to 10. Count to 1,000 before doing something or saying anything that could make matters worse.

14. Forgive and never forget. Living in the past causes the most stress within us. Maybe you lost your best friend, or went through a bad break up -- moving on is key. Have a forgiving view of events or people. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect and impermanent world.

15. Optimism. Believe that most people are doing the best they can.

Positive stress is functional stress. We start to focus better, become more motivated, gain energy, and are challenged instead of intimidated. Stay positive. Know that focusing on the negative will leave you in a rut. Overall, a good laugh never hurt anybody.