Ten Easy Ways to Minimize Your Stress

Stress is our reaction to any stimulus (physical, mental, or emotional -- internal or external) that tends to upset us. When the reactions are inappropriate, they can lead to health problems. The diseases most often connected to a stressful environment are heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer.

Additionally, doctors are seeing increasing incidents of stress as being connected to other conditions such as asthma, allergies, migraines, ulcers, bowel and skin problems. In fact, 75-90% of all visits to the doctor are related to stress.

To deal with stress effectively, identify your sources of stress, either within yourself or your environment, and then plan strategies for coping.

Ideas to help you relieve stress:

1. Rise early - reserve an hour before the family wakes to get organized for the day.

2. Share your workload with family and co-workers.

3. Take breaks in the day - even just 10 minutes - to clear your head and catch your breath.

4. Set aside time to exercise.

5. Don't take on too much at once.

6. Give yourself permission to be imperfect.

7. Learn to say "no".

8. Eliminate clutter from your life.

9. Relax with some music occasionally.

10. Develop a forgiving attitude.