Avoid

Believe it or not, you can simply avoid a lot of stress. Plan ahead, rearrange your surroundings and reap the benefits of a lighter load.

• Take control of your surroundings. Is the traffic insane? Leave early for work or take the longer, less traveled route. Hate waiting in line for lunch at the corporate cafeteria or at the fast-food places? Pack your lunch and eat at your desk or in a break room.

  Working longer hours when working at home and finding it difficult to separate work and your life? Ask your supervisor if you can set your work schedule to be the same every day, turn off the computer at the end of the workday and close your office door. Have a designated "working from home" space. Tell your friends and family members when you are "at work."

• Learn to say no. You have a lot of responsibilities and demands on your time. At a certain point, you cross the line between being charitable and being foolish. Saying no is a complete sentence. Turn down the neighborhood sports league. Pass on coaching T-ball. Those around you will appreciate more time with a relaxed you. And you'll have time to enjoy them, too.
• Ditch part of your list. Label your to-do list with A's, B's and C's, according to importance. On hectic days, scratch the C's from your list.

However, some problems can't be avoided. For those situations, try another technique.