1. Spend 5 minutes every morning planning your day. Prioritize your list, so you accomplish the most important things first.

2. Figure out the two or three things that consistently cause you to feel stress and actively work to find solutions to those problems. For example, if you are having difficulties with your spouse, teenager or boss, then try to objectively analyze the sources of conflict and look for creative solutions. Get help if you need it. A good therapist is worth their weight in gold.

3. Take care of yourself physically. Exercise at lease three times a week, eat right, avoid excessive caffeine or nicotine, and get 7-8 hours of sleep every night. If you don't take care of your body you won't be in any shape to deal with stress.

4. Avoid unnecessary stress. Do you regularly call your mother only to hear how much more successful your siblings are and you need to lose weight? It's nice of you to call and all, but, really, why put yourself through such torture?

5. Surround yourself with things that make you smile. Figure out what makes you happy; indulge yourself with small things. Light a candle on your desk at work; surround yourself with peaceful images and pictures of people you love. If a purple velvet sofa makes you smile, go ahead and buy that purple sofa.

6. Put yourself on the list. You only get one shot at life: this is it. If you want to go camping and cook in tin pots and fish all day, put it on the calendar and go.

7. Avoid people who drag you down. The flip side of #7: make and maintain friendships with people who are positive, happy and successful. If superficial or negative relationships are dragging you down, ease your way out of them and work on building strong, healthy relationships with people you genuinely enjoy.

8. Focus on the task at hand. Avoid multitasking. This is a sure-fire way to miss out on the small moments that can add pleasure and depth to your day. If you are on the phone, then quit surfing the 'net and focus on the conversation. If you are talking with your child about their day, put down the mail and open it later. Focus, FOCUS….

9. Expand your horizons. If you find yourself in a worn-out, stress-filled rut, take some time each week to try something new. Take a class, join a club, plan a trip. The point is to allow yourself an escape and add some fun to your life.

10. Limit the amount of bad news you read, hear or watch. Yes, the economy is shaky; yes, the threat of terrorism is there. But there are also a lot of very positive things going on in the world around us. You can reduce the stress of living in a world where really awful things happen by focusing on the positive things that can and do occur.

-- Nancy Rosenberg