Even in the relatively calm environment of my home office, I inevitably suffer from work-related stress. My computer starts acting up, I'm running late, or whatever -- and it was only worse when I had to deal with overbearing bosses, gossiping colleagues, and a traffic-clogged daily commute!

As you've undoubtedly discovered, this stress isn't helpful. It only makes it hard to focus and stay productive, meaning you only lose more time, which leads to even more stress, etc. Get your head back in the game with these helpful tips:

1. Count to 10. It's a cliche, but it works.
2. Flax bags. They press the acupuncture points around your eyes, which chills you right out.
3. Act happy. Hard to imagine when you're screaming at your monitor, but it'll help.
4. Squeeze something. Stress balls earned their name for a reason.
5. Juggle. Seriously -- this will not only get you away from the problem, but it'll have you laughing in minutes.

For more tips, check out this helpful post on the blog ririanproject.

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When deciding what to look for in that special someone, you might want to add "healthy" to your list of desired characteristics. A new study has found that you and your future spouse will probably copy one another's choices when it comes to habits like smoking, drinking.

For instance, the odds of smokers putting down the pack were five times higher if their husband or wife had already quit, while others were just as likely to give up alcohol if their spouse wasn't a drinker. The same pattern held true for preventative medicine -- like flu shots, for instance.

I guess that makes sense. Since moving in with my fiance I've changed the movies I watch, the clothes I wear, and the food I eat -- it's only natural that my health habits would follow suit.

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Guys, as much as we like to complain that she steals all the covers, it turns out we actually sleep better when our significant other is lying next to us. You ladies, on the other hand, aren't so lucky.

Men are more likely to snore, which makes it very difficult for their partner to get a good night sleep. When the sound level becomes so loud that it wakes them up at night, many women opt for sleeping in another room -- just so they can get some peace and quiet.

On the other hand, men -- despite popular stereotypes -- are much more dependent on close relationships than women are. Subsequently, when it comes to sleeping, guys do much better when they share a bed with someone they're committed to.

So what's the solution? While women might get more sleep when they choose a separate bed, this probably won't do wonders for their relationships. If your man is a noisemaker at night, try earplugs, and if that doesn't work, talk to your doctor -- there's a number of ways to keep him quiet.

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In the health care debate, many point to the high cost of the universal care favored by many European countries. However, new research shows that, the United States actually spends more to treat its citizens, and obesity may be to blame.

The US has almost double the number of obese adults as the average European country. Subsequently, Americans have significantly higher instances of obesity-related diseases like cancer and diabetes. Because of this, the country spends an additional $100 billion to $150 billion on treatment.

There are also more current or former smokers in the US -- about half, compared with only 43 percent of Europeans. This, coupled with the obesity numbers, means the US population is generally sicker than their European counterparts.

These factors, combined with the higher prices the US pays for medical treatment, mean that 16 percent of the gross domestic product (about $2 trillion annually) is spent on treating the population -- more per capita than any country in Europe.

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I went to acting school, where you're regularly asked to do move your body and use your voice in ways that you probably haven't before. Our teachers would warn us that, during these exercises, we might "release" something that would make us suddenly burst into tears. Honestly, I assumed this was only because we were a bunch of over-dramatic college students, but apparently this can happen to anyone.

According to this MSNBC article, all of us "use our bodies to tense up against pain or negative experiences," and during exercise we often release these pent-up emotions. Therefore, it's not uncommon for people to cry during yoga, Pilates, or other workouts categorized as "body-mind."

There's a few different explanations for why the body needs an emotional release to coincide with a physical one, but, regardless of the why it happens, it's important to remember that it's OK. The tears are normal, and, chances are, you'll feel better afterward.

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Tense? Frustrated? Anxious? Don't worry, Nakazawa Foods knows you live in a demanding, fast-paced society, and need to chill out. That's why they've invented "Adult Milk" -- a line of premium milk that supposedly reduce stress.

That is, if it doesn't stress you out to drop $43 for one quart of a dairy product. That's how much the Japanese company is charging for their new miracle drink -- 30 times what ordinary milk costs in Tokyo (which is already expensive).

The secret, apparently, is to take milk from cows only once a week, at the break of dawn. Because cows release melatonin (a stress-relieving hormone) during the night, this method will theoretically give you milk that has up to four times the normal amount of stress-relieving power.

Sounds relaxing -- if you can afford it.

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I don't know about you, but after a couple beers, I'm not exactly the sharpest tool in the box. However, recent research seems to suggest that beer is better for your brain than you might think -- as low to moderate alcohol consumption apparently enhances your memory.

The science behind why this is true isn't exactly easy to follow -- but, essentially, consuming alcohol reportedly enhances activity in one part of a receptor that's located in an area of the brain that's critical to memory. So, when researchers gave alcohol to rats (about the equivalent of one or two drinks per day for a human, depending on your size), they discovered that the rats performed better in memory testing.

Which means, says one scientist, that even though people often drink to "drown sorrows," consuming alcohol "could actually paradoxically promote traumatic memories." Bummer.

On the other hand, I guess this also means that if you're having a couple pleasant drinks every afternoon, you're going to be a little more on the ball than if you went teetotal. This is such great news, I think I'm going to go celebrate -- with a beer!

Thanks to Scott for the tip!

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You've probably heard this a million times, but I'll tell you again, because it's absolutely true: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It's the meal we're most-likely to skip as we scramble to get ready for school or work, but it's also essential for getting the energy you need to stay productive. Plus, if you curb your hunger in the morning, you'll most likely consume less total calories throughout the day. Bonus!

Here's some quick ways to get what you need without succumbing to the temptations of the fast food drive-through window.

1. Fresh eggs. These take about 3 minutes in the microwave or on the stove. You'll spend less time doing this than you will waiting in line and McDonald's.

2. Whole grain cereal. Especially now that it's getting colder, why not try a little oatmeal?

3. Yogurt. You can make this more filling by adding fresh fruit and nuts.

4. Vegetarian bacon. As long as you accept that it will taste nothing like real bacon, it's actually pretty good.

5. Bran cereal. If you're a cereal person, this is a much healthier way to go than all those sugary (and less filling) options.

Try it. You'll feel better all morning. I promise.

[via HealthMad]

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Most mothers I know have a horror story about the incredibly lengthy, painful delivery of their baby -- but just the opposite is true for Susannah Kendrick.

The 29-year-old was casually preparing dinner one evening when she felt a contraction. Seeing as she was only eight months pregnant, this was a little unexpected, so she went to phone the doctor. Nurses told Kendrick to come to the hospital, but before she had time to get her shoes on and take dinner off the stove, another massive contraction came.

While a friend called the emergency services, Kendrick's husband helped her onto the bed. The friend relayed instructions to the husband, who successfully delivered the baby -- two contractions later.

The couple's 6lb, 1oz baby, Trinity, may have been born via the easiest pregnancy in the history of the mankind.

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If you ask most people, they'll probably tell you that work is what causes, not helps their depression. However, researchers have found that employees who take place in workplace intervention programs often have fewer symptoms, and are more likely to recover.

And these programs are often just as beneficial to employers. Intervention helps lessen the severity of workers' depression -- thus increasing productivity while the employees find help, and work towards recovery.

Seeing as the World Health Organization estimates that 121 million people suffer from depression worldwide, which leads to tens of billions of dollars lost every year in worker productivity, it only makes sense that companies should start seeking out, and giving assistance to employees who need help.

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