Bring yourself to deal with irrational fears about issues that aren't going away

All too often, you worry about work, your love life, your bills, taxes -- all issues that you know aren't going to go away. So, to turn around those irrational fears, you need to reprogram the way you react to the triggers that bring on your unwanted anxiety.

First: Make a plan. What helps me is to write down how I feel about certain triggers, why I react the way I do, and how I'd like to react instead. By breaking down my fears it helps me discover why they scared me in the first place.

The next step is to reprogram: When you're faced with a fearful situation, you freeze (like I do) because you've programmed yourself to freeze. Instead, concentrate on your breathing and try to visualize a place you associate with calm and serenity -- the beach, the mountains, or your hometown.

Lastly: Practice and improve. Once you recognize the onset of your irrational fears, you'll eventually reprogram yourself to react more pro-actively and that should reduce your stress.