BellaB - I'm currently taking a 12 week course on living well - it's a particular program about a whole heap of lifestyle things but mindfulness meditation is the most important one. They say as you meditate regularly - even just 10 mins here and there - it affects your biochemistry and eventually resets your stress dial so it's lower most of the time (so that even when you are stressed, you feel it less in your body). How to meditate - well it's simple and hard at the same time, so I'd suggest getting your hands on some meditation/relaxation CDs from your public library or ebay...then all you gotta do is get comfy and listen and relax.

I had a period of intense stress last year for a couple of months when I knew I had cancer but I didn't know how bad - things that helped me were - exercise (taking a walk or dancing around the lounge room), sitting in the sunshine just feeling it on my skin, taking a bath, oh yeah - and deep slow breathing. The deep slooooooooow breathing works in as little as 5 breaths. I would start there in a stress emergency.