Are you STRESSED??! Tripod members have some advice for you. We received hundreds of tips, but these are the thirty best -- a Happy Massager goes out to each of these Tripod members for providing us all with a little stress relief:

swampgirl: Refuse to worry about those things that you can't do anything about. If you missed the 7:15 train, and have to settle for the 7:45, go with it. Don't get upset. You can't turn back time and make the 7:15. You'll get there when you get there. Accept the reality of the situation. Save your worry energy for things that you can actually change. I've done this and the level of stress in my life has absolutely plummeted. I never realized how much time I spent everyday worrying and stressing over things I couldn't change. If I have to live with a stressful situation, I may as well live with it without the stress rather than live with it with the stress.

Also, remind yourself that you can't control other people's actions (nor is it your responsibility). People will always do something unexpected. Roll with it and don't freak out. During an argument, do something or say something funny. Make a joke. Lighten the atmosphere. You'll lower their stress level as well as yours. If you have financial stress, contact a non-profit consumer credit organization (avoid the profit making ones). You pay them, they pay all your bills. It's an instant stress killer. No more worrying about forgetting a bill. No more worrying about which bill to roll over until next month. Failing all of the above, leave your immediate physical surroundings and take several deep breaths.

hottie: I always get an ice cream cone, because people eating ice cream cones are always happy people. People eating half gallons of ice cream are always crying in them. So, when I become stressed, I get an ice cream cone because I feel happier.

candyman: What do I do to help deal with stress? I give others a massage usually lasting between fifteen minutes and two to three hours depending on how stressed they are and if I have to be anywhere soon. My fingers can get real tired and sore so the Happy Massager would help me reduce stress in my family and friends.

naw1973: When I feel stressed, I try to find a very private place to go. When I get to this place, I raise my arms in the air, take a deep breath and scream for as long as I can! It may feel embarrassing at first, but I think that if people hear you they will understand!

Greg12: First, beat the crap out of a stuffed dog. Second, look through the phone book and find someone with a stupid name. Third, call them up and make fun of them. This will boost your morale and help you to relax and be happy.

tony: In my place of employment, I am in charge of an intern. When I'm stressed I take my carpal-tunnel-preventing wrist pad, which is made of thick rubber, and proceed to beat the intern senseless. I feel much better after that. After he gets out of the hospital, I usually take him out for a beer to show him that it wasn't personal.

Kimmy: I take one entire day where I promise to do nothing, eat little, and just focus on breathing and meditating. On this day, I resolve to do no planning for the week ahead and no worrying about problems, just breathing. It is amazing how revitalizing and refreshing this is.

lshoberg: Stress. It's something I try not to deal with that often, but when I start getting stressed, the first thing I do is hit the gym. While working up a sweat, my body starts to release tension, and I take my aggression out on the machines (both cardio and weights - not counting the aerobics classes), not on my family and friends. Almost one hundred percent of the time, I will leave the gym calmer and less stressed than before. Whatever was on my mind has been "worked out." After the gym, I'll go home, have some ice cream and go to bed. By the next morning, whatever was bothering me does not seem like a big deal anymore.

misoniest: My suggestion is to have a blanket in the trunk of your car marked to be used in stress emergencies. To use, drive to nearby nature area, spread the blanket, loosen the tie and/or appropriate clothing and take a mini-vacation!

smifs: Do something you like to do so that you concentrate on that particular function and forget about the problem or the stress factors. If what you like to do involves a lot of physical exercise, it will be a better stress reliever. For me, these are the three best methods to relieve stress:

1 - Playing Soccer: Playing soccer makes me express all my anger inside and forget temporarily about my problems. After playing, I'll feel better and recharged enough to tackle and solve my problems.

2 - Listening to Techno at high volume and dance: My favorite music is Techno and Underground and hearing this music either at home or in a disco/club makes me concentrate on the music and usually dance (thus do P.E.). The higher the volume the more relaxing and fun it is!

3 - Help others and make my friends laugh: After helping someone I feel satisfied and feel much more able to face my problems. Similarly, being funny and making my friends laugh has the same effect as above. A few months ago, I asked a girl to come out with me but she refused. I was very sad and full of stress since my thoughts always dwelled on her rejection. Three days later, I had a holiday with my university friends and I really did some funny things, the funniest being running in the streets at night semi nude (with just a panty on) for about 15 minutes. I have photos if you don't believe me! Anyway the fact that I made my friends feel better and happy, also made me happy, and I eventually stopped worrying about that girl and experiencing self-doubt. I gained confidence and became aware again of my good qualities. The stressful problem vanished.

JAWS: My favorite technique for relieving stress is what I call a mini-break. It is a simple biofeedback based relaxation exercise using dual visualization. The only equipment it requires is a simple small thermometer which can be taped (I use a Velcro loop) to a finger with the bulb touching the skin. Tape the thermometer loosely but securely. I've graduated to an electric indoor/outdoor thermometer and use the outdoor probe as the sensor attached to the finger. This way, I can monitor the temperature changes and my progress without moving around too much, thus possibly destroying the effect.

First I visualize my breath entering as I breath in first in one nostril then the other and finally both. I do each phase for 10 - 15 breaths, breathing slowly and rhythmically. I use the picture of the breadth as a wisp of fog entering my nostrils.

The second visualization is to see or imagine my hand being warmed by the rays of the sun on a warm spring day.

Once you've mastered this technique, it takes about five minutes to achieve a good result. I can change my hand temperature by five degrees using this technique. By the way, it also works wonders for headache sufferers who master it.

ryansim: Well, just lie back, with your palms up, and try to melt from your toes up. Concentrate on each part of your body, making each part turn to Jello until you fall asleep!

moroni: Stress is a simple thing to get rid of. When life is getting you down, just go back to your childhood days. I am sure you remember when you were young and you would build a fort in the living room by hanging sheets and blankets over your mother's chairs which you dragged out of the kitchen. Do it again and put a big pillow or bean bag inside. Next, settle down with a good book of your choosing. I prefer Dr. Seuss. If a beach is handy, go build a sandcastle. If there's no beach within a ten hour drive, find a sandbox in a park. Stay there awhile and swing on the swings. If there is a nice hill in the neighborhood, stop by the 7-ll and pick up a block of ice. Next, go to the park with a hill. Go to the top of the hill, put a towel on the block of ice and sit down and slide down the hill. You can have hours of great fun this way.

widel: This is a surefire way to cure stress: take a nice long drive in you car (about 2 hours). Urban areas offer the most relaxation if you keep your windows up so you don't choke to death, yell at the top of you lungs when the old hag in front of you cuts you off (remember you window is up so noone but you has to know what you said and how loud you said it), and hit your dashboard as hard as you can without activating airbags. If urban driving isn't good for you try a nice long fast drive on the interstate. The faster your car goes the more stress you release. If urban driving and interstate driving are not your cup of tea try a drive in the country. I do all three.

SnarkyBoy: Whenever someone manages to drag me into some potentially stressful situation, I just strip them naked in my mind and take a look at them. Now tell the truth, would you want just anyone to see you buck naked, warts and all? The thought of seeing this other person naked is so hysterical that I just can't help but laugh at them mentally!

Hirai: I'm wound up at work. Meep, meep! Danger Will Robinson!

I clean off everything on my desk. I go buy a big fat burrito (bean + cheese, with hot sauce, black beans). I plunk the burrito down on my desk and delight in the taste, with a nice bottle of Snapple to drain it all down.

This last part is a bit geeky I admit, but I like to sit down at my workstation and read something friendly or non-controversial. I sometimes read a nice Web page (like Tripod - and this isn't even a plug!) or a newsgroup with chatty folks like misc.consumer.frugal-living (you wouldn't believe the amount of "support" message there are on that group!).

In the 80s, folks used to zone out and relax in front of a TV with a beer. In the 90s, you get something non-alcoholic, relax in front of a Web page and read a joke or read someone's great triumph at finding a great bargain at the local thrift shop. I kid you not!

ANGELKILLER: Take a bath with your clothes on. Look at yourself in the mirror. Now, did that put a relaxing smile on your face?

ethan: I'm big on mindless violence as a source of stress relief. Rather than risk assault convictions, I recommend buying yard sale china. A big box of chipped and cracked china often runs about five dollars. After purchasing this china, spend half an hour hurling it against a wall, preferably in a basement, and you will save a fortune in psychiatrist bills.

MerkinX: A massage therapist I know told me that applying pressure to the skin between your thumb and index finger about half and inch into your hand will relieve stress headaches. For a major headache, massage a portion of the bottom of the foot using the knuckles of a closed fist. I am a stress addict and all of these things work.

groove: I look at pictures of old girlfriends and throw the weights around! I must do at least twice as much weight when I am really angry. Rage can be good sometimes, if you can deal with it!

CAHarkness: To handle stress, I make a "To-do" list every day. When the stresses of life get really bad, though, focus on something outside of the stressful situation. Like when I'm at school and I'm headed for a final that I know has my entire grade riding on it, I will instead think about a favorite song or funny part of a book I've been reading. Most of my stress comes from the fear of not being prepared for something and completely making a fool out of myself, so I try to be as prepared as possible and then force myself to think of other things when the going gets really rough.

smilo: The best stress reliever I know is sex. It takes your mind off whatever is bothering you, it gives you a great workout, and it makes you and somebody else very happy. With all those positives going on, you won't have time to worry about whatever is stressing you out. Finishing off with a Happy Massager session would be nice too.

gypsy: When I get completely stressed out, which is often since I am a college student, I go out to the middle of nowhere, take along some good brew, and sing the Sesame Street theme song at the top of my lungs until I feel better, which is usually about the same time the brew runs out. It's better to do this one alone, because some people might think you are strange if you still know the theme to Sesame Street.

Dorolei: One of my favorite ways to relieve stress is to get up early in the morning while it is still cool and peaceful for some "quiet time." The running water, trees, and wildlife help me to center myself for the upcoming day.

Galapagos: The Web is one of the greatest stress reducers I've found. Building a web page provides a creative outlet and is both productive and fun. I have Tripod to thank for giving me space to publish my page!

aoife: My stress story is that my son, aged four, was diagnosed last year with a rare brain disorder. The disorder is not curable, but also not fatal. I won't go into all the details. Anyway, in the same year, I moved into a new house, changed jobs, helped my husband set up a new company, and had major grief with my car (now ex-car). All these things caused me to end up on Prozac. Prozac helped me over rough patch. Now, I work out everyday in the gym. The workout gives me more energy. I also eat well (consciously) and am studying really hard for my exams. I am too busy to be stressed. Going for a really long cycle also helps. Even though I have my son on the back, I can't hear him wailing! Vitamin B also helps with stress, as does eating bananas. Whether that is psychological or not, I don't know, but it works!

frugalrachel: My favorite stress relief tips:

#1- Take a long, warm bubble bath, making sure to lock the bathroom door so that I can't be disturbed by anyone or anything.
#2- Take the phone off the hook.
#3- Either watch a comedy show, funny movie or read jokes on the web.
#4- Sit down, get a cup of coffee or tea and hand the kids off to Daddy for an hour.
#5- Turn on the radio and dance with my four year old.
#6- Tickle my eight month old and make her giggle.
#7- Take an aspirin.
#8- Read a story to my four year old.
#9- Read a book.
#10-Listen to the rowdiest radio station in the area.
#11-Check out alt.humor,and alt.humor.best-of-usenet.
#12-Rearrange furniture.
#13-Call my sister.
#14-Hug my fiance.
#15-Take a day off from wedding planning.
#16-Take a few hours off for "vacation" with my fiance.
#17-Remind myself that "Every mother is a working mother."
#18-Look at my "words to live by list" which contains inspiring phrases.
#19-Emotionally remove myself from a situation for awhile and deal with it when I'm better able to.
#20-Think happy, sappy thoughts
#21-Sit down, relax and work on some plastic canvas.
#22- Exercise.
#23- Fill out stress surveys in order to win happy massagers.
#24- Get some fresh air.
#25- Take a walk.
#26- Write.
#27- Write a lot.
#28- Help my four year old draw pictures and learn to write.

Boersma: Ah, stress... how do I deal with it? One word: EXERCISE. No matter what kind of day it was at work, no matter how many problems are weighing on my mind, going jogging, shooting hoops, lifting weights, or throwing the football with the guys, end up releasing my tension and give me that so called "runner's high" that makes you feel like a Maharishi who just received communion with the eternal. When I don't have time to put in a full exercise routine, there is one other thing that relaxes me. Now don't laugh, but, drinking one cup (and only one) of good, gourmet coffee really does the trick. Call me crazy, but it somehow mellows me out and makes everything seem very manageable.

G_Money: There isn't much that a good cup of tea cannot cure. Make sure it's served in a big mug that you can get your hands around. Be sure to put milk in the tea and use only "British Breakfast" brand tea. Just sitting down for long enough to savor the cup allows you to sort through your mind, slow down and get things in perspective.

MarkyM: I find that it really helps to carry your stressful situation to ridiculous extremes. For example, if I am really stressed about a deadline that I have to make, I think, what would happen if I missed the deadline? My boss would get really pissed off. He would yell at me. The very worst he could do would be to fire me. Then I wouldn't have a job and I would get really depressed and I wouldn't be able to find another job. I would have no money and I wouldn't be able to eat so I would start to fade away. People wouldn't recognize me anymore. That's only one of the things that could happen. But after imagining that, anything else will seem pretty good.