“I’m so stressed -- I have three tests, a presentation, work and I only slept five hours last night.”

“No, man. You’re not even stressed. I have two presentations, five bills to pay, two exams and I haven’t slept since Sunday. Talk about stressed.”

What are we doing to ourselves? Every day, we play this game of who-can-be-more-stressed. Why? All it does is make us more stressed out. We hide in our beds taking naps and watching Netflix, hoping that our responsibilities will somehow wither away. Our stress builds and we do nothing to help ourselves. We take pride in our stress and use it to compare how successful we are to the rest of our peers. This creates even more unnecessary stress in our already complicated lives. How can we overcome this stress game we play?

Below are recommendations to lead a less-stressed lifestyle.

1. Get your blood pressure checked.

It will scare the crap out of you. Your health is the most important factor to pay attention to when you’re stressed. You may have assignments you’re procrastinating on, but you can’t ever get to them if you’re sick.

2. Let others be the more stressed person in the game.

They win! But really, you win. We don’t need to play this one-up game. You do not need to compare your life with others.

3. Notice the little things. Life may be overwhelming, but remember the small things that make you happy. These things can range from the little flower on your walk to the library to being thankful it’s sunny outside. Take in the little wonders of the world, and you will realize how insignificant your stressful problems are.

4. Tackle your hefty to-do list with determination.

Use all of that negative energy causing stress to push you to get things done. If your kitchen needs to be cleaned and it’s been stressing you out every time you walk by it, then clean it! Use the cleaning you have to do as a de-stressor. Find a way to create positive energy whenever you can.

5. Cry. It’s OK to let the tears stain your cheeks. Sometimes it feels good to have a meltdown in private. The other day I cried over a salad – no biggie (though it was at the time, I tell you). We hold in all of this stress in our bodies, and it’s almost waiting to erupt. It’s OK to let it erupt. Sometimes a good tantrum feels just as good as a massage. Crying doesn’t make you weak; it makes you stronger because you are able face your emotions.

6. Find activities to do that will help you be less stressed. As stated above, crying can be one. So can yoga, walks around town or campus, petting dogs on the street and sex. Find healthy stress relievers instead of cupcakes and guacamole because I promise you, gaining weight will stress you out even more.

The most important way to keep yourself from letting stress get the best of you is to turn negativity into positivity. You may have legitimate reasons for stress: you have assignments left and right, you have bills to pay or you have loved ones to worry about. Focus on what you can accomplish today and in the near future. Use each extra moment to take a deep breath and create a positive outlook. You are in control of your mind, body and soul. Don’t let stress keep you from living a happy life.