Some stress is good for your brain. It teaches you how to problem solve under pressure and develops your stress management skills.

The problem is that stress can kill memory if you don't work on brain response. Anxiety and stress top the reasons for poor academic performance. You know that stress can mess you up at work.

If you feel overloaded and start thinking about stress management, it's a little too late to try training your brain to deal with the immediate situation. Many people get a headache when the stress becomes overwhelming. You have to deal with the immediate pressure and get your brain in shape later.

When the stress gets to you, try to stimulate brain circulation with tapping. With your fingertips tap these places with gentle pressure: temples, above the ears, top of the head, back of head where the neck meets the skull, forehead, under the eyes, or anywhere that feels tense. Open the mouth and tap the jaw. Take deep breaths while tapping and exhale through your mouth. Then, squeeze your face, relax and release that tension. Cease tapping and concentrate on breathing with your mouth open. Inhale good energy and exhale the stress. You may feel significantly better after this exercise.

The key thing to remember when feeling stressed is to change the energy immediately.

Listen in as brain fitness expert Dave Beal shares how to prepare your brain to deal with stress.