We all have little problems to deal with on a daily basis – hunting for car keys or cell phone, bickering with family members, dealing with traffic or weather. They are admittedly minor, but dealing with them day after day can have a greater effect than we realize on our well being.

Even though they are small, research is showing that, in the aggregate, they can actually have more of an effect on our mental health than even major life traumas. Big, traumatic events are relatively rare, but the little inconveniences mentioned above are things we deal with day after day, and because we face them constantly, can cause more stress in our lives than the big events.

Because these little stressors can undermine our health incrementally, it is important how we respond to them, and that we take steps to reduce the stress that they cause. Here are a few ways to counteract the effects of these little stress-inducing events:

1. Try not to watch the television or look at email the first thing in the morning or just before going to bed. Doing these things first thing is not a good way to start the day. You should be meditating or exercising or getting a good breakfast. In the evening, you should be doing things that will help you to relax before going to bed.

2. Meditating for as little as five minutes a day will help relieve stress.

3. Have a designated place for things like keys, wallets, glasses, and cellphones. If you always put these things in the same place, the chances that you will misplace them are greatly reduced, thus reducing your stress levels as well.

4. Make it a habit to get outdoors regularly, by hiking, for example. Research has shown that getting back to nature helps to reduce stress and aids our emotional well being.

5. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Exercise, even something as quick as taking the stairs, helps to reduce stress. So, even when you are in the office, take the time to get away from the desk and walk around for however brief a time.

6. Don’t eat at your desk. Take a real lunch break.

7. Give yourself an extra 15 minutes to get where you are going. Running late is a big stress enhancer, and so you should try to avoid it whenever possible.

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