I know that stress raises blood sugar levels, so I'm working on learning ways to deal with the stress in my life. Has anyone tried yoga or deep breathing for stress reduction?

Pilates is a good stress reducer.
I use to attend pilates class 3 times a week 3-4 years ago.

Monday I decided to give it a try once again.
At the end of class someone said to me "This will certainly reduce your stress".
Since then I have felt less stressed and peaceful.
Not to say I don't get stressed but it's better than before the class.

I'm told Yoga is a great stress reducer.
So it would be worth a try.

Several years ago one of the speakers at WILD BUNCH focused on stress reduction.
She showed a beautiful video. It had some really nice soft relaxing music with it.
I bet you could find a relaxation DVD at a store.
There is also a site on the net that lets you view their videos.
They've got some really relaxing stuff.
I'm not sure we're suppose to post the names of other sites here.
They do sell their books and DVDs but they also let you view the DVDs for free as many times as you want.

Massage is another great stress reducer.
I use to have one pretty often but money is tight so I've let that go for now.
Pedicures and manicures are nice stress reducers too.

There definitely are many ways to reduce stress, and I think the key is to find something that works for you, and then work it into your regular life. All too often I wait until the stress is almost unbearable before I do something about it, so doing something like a regular yoga class appeals to me because I think it might reduce my overall stress levels consistently over time.

Thanks for the suggestions!

I found out yesterday just how much exercise had increased my tolerance level and how much better I handle everyday situations.

Wed. I took a well deserved rest day. Yesterday things that hadn't been bothering me at work seemed to become major ordeals. I really didn't understand why until I realized that on Wed I had skipped my exercise.

Yesterday I enjoyed the pool and it certainly seemed to wash away my tension.
I love the water. It always relaxes me big time.
Today I'm happy as a clam.

Your right find something that you will enjoy and keep on doing.
Taking a proactive step toward lowering your stress or at least how it affects you is a smart move.
Let me know how you like yoga.

That's interesting that you thought you deserved a rest day, but it didn't turn out to be something positive for you. I haven't found a yoga class yet that fits into my schedule, but I went for a run this morning and I feel great!

A run sounds wonderful :)
I use to jog which really looked like a fast walk in 5Ks
I really miss doing that.

Hope you find a class that works into your schedule.

I was really surprised when my rest day didn't turn into a positive thing.
I've never had that problem before.
But rest days are important so I need to plan them for the weekend.

You're right that rest days are crucial. I wonder if planning for a rest day will work, or if simply paying attention to your body and taking a rest day when you need it is another possible strategy?

I think your body will let you know when you need a rest day. So even if it's an unplanned rest day I think you should definitely take it.

When your sick rest day(s) are important too.

As far as skipping rest days until your body says you need one I'm not sure about that one. On Sundays my day is full so that automaticaly becomes a rest day.
On Wednesdays I work with pre-schoolers at church. I also have weight watchers at my gym so that day is really packed. I count it as a rest day even if I get a little in between weighing and the meeting.
So due to my schedule I just naturally plan rest days.