Having a hard day?  If so, you're not alone. Stress plagues us all.

Relax.

If you let them, the pressures of everyday life can cause tense muscles, frazzled nerves, stiff necks, and misery. Time to find a bit of paradise.

"Paradise," said French lyric poet Pierre Jean De Béranger, "is open to all kinds of hearts."

If you're nowhere near a beach with palm trees and gentle tradewinds, open your heart by just taking a few minutes to visualize paradise. Close your eyes and take a deep breath.

Breathe out slowly and completely through your mouth. Breathe in slowly and completely through your nose, expanding your stomach. Hold for five seconds and exhale again. Repeat for five times or more. Release stress as you exhale.

Feel better?

"Here’s a two step formula for handling stress. Step number one: Don’t sweat the small stuff. Step number two: Remember it’s all small stuff," advised motivational expert Anthony Robbins.

And this gem from author and humorist Don Herold: "If I had my life to live over, I would try to make more mistakes. I would relax. I would climb more mountains and swim more rivers. I would pick more daisies. I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary ones."

Relax and breathe.