1. LOOK IT RIGHT IN THE EYES
"Don’t ignore stress. It won’t go away, and it will likely get worse," says psychologist and stress management expert, Don Williams, Ph.D. Make a hit list of the top ten stresses in your life. If you can, rank the stresses in order from most to least stressful. Then, next to each stress, try to describe why it gets to you. Is it because you hate when X happens-- or because you never know when X is going to happen-- or because when X happens, you'd really like to do Y afterward to feel better but you never get the chance?

2. LET GO
Robert Sapolsky, Ph.D., author of Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, says, a key to managing stress "is understanding the things you can control, and not trying to control the uncontrollable." Take your hit list and break it into bits. For every stress, jot down what you can't change or control about the situation. Then, go back through the list and brainstorm ideas about what you might be able to change. For example, if your grueling work schedule is your #1 stress, is there anything you can add or take away to make life better? Can you eek out a 15-minute break? Wear a walkman during tedious jobs? If you can't set your own hours, could you influence what those hours are like? Stress fades when you focus on the what you can control, even if it's only small details.

3. SLEEP, EAT, RUN, JUMP & PLAY
Dr. Williams suggests getting enough good exercise, food and sleep can do the trick. "But if you’re doing those things, and it’s still not having an impact," he says, "then it’s time to talk to your doctor." The best way to start stress reduction? Repeat after us: My being less frazzled is important enough that I'm going to make time for it every day.

Now you'll get your gold star.

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