Whether you are an LEO or an agent for government agency or just a civilian trying to get through each day, stress can get to you. When you live an active lifestyle and could be leaving for a secret mission when your phone rings or you are planning an outdoor adventure, while juggling everything else in life, things can get stressful. Not to mention, out on the field or in the elements, you never know what could happen, which can make stress your enemy when you need a level head. Luckily, there are several stress reduction skills that can help you stay calm in any situation.

Stress reduction skills are beneficial to anyone who is dealing with stress potential in their life. We may not all face life or death situations on a daily basis, but stress is certainly something we can all do with less of.

• Schedule vacations and downtime. This is one of those things that everyone knows, but so many are afraid to do. Taking a vacation does not make you a bad employee, in fact, it makes you a responsible one because you're taking care of any stress before it becomes an issue and affects work, before that burnout period is hit.
• Get regular exercise. Exercise gives a nice dose of endorphins and whether you deal with devastation on a daily basis or just work at a desk, these will help you in your day to day work, and in keeping your stress levels down.
• Keep work at work. It can be very tempting to get together with co-workers after a long day, and commiserate on what happened during the day, but this is actually harmful to you and does not give you the time you need to de-stress and unwind. So if you choose to go out after work, keep the talk not work-related, and just focus on other aspects of life.
• Learn deep breathing exercises. Whether you are in a life or death situation or not, you can benefit from deep breathing exercises. This will help you to bring yourself down from the stress or adrenaline, and help you to stay focused and calm, even during intense situations.
• Focus on the positives. Having a job in LEO can be very difficult, as you will be exposed to many dark situations, which is why you'll need to focus on the positives of your job and what you see on calls. By doing that, you can remain less stressed, and have a nice reminder of everyone that you are helping in your position.

There are many more stress reduction skills, but these are some general ones that have been proven to be beneficial to people. Of course, everyone is different and you may need to try several to find the best solution for your stress.