Stress is a normal part of life. There's good stress and bad stress. Stress can be harmful if not handled properly. Stress can affect a person physically and mentally. There are many ways people handle stress and reduce stress within their lives. Some stress are self-imposed. To reduce self-imposed stress in your life, first figure out ways that you create stress for yourself, then try to reduce them. The following are my self-imposed stress and ways I try to reduce them.

I create stress for myself by:

• letting EVERY LITTLE thing irritate me

• rushing and being late to everything

• being uptight when my home is not clean and unorganized

• not taking time out for myself

• being a procrastinator

The things to do to minimize these stress in your life:

• don't sweat the small stuff - ignore it- overlook it- breathe and relax instead of react.

• effectively plan and organize things like - get the family together at night (clothes, shower, hair, bags and etc...). Make it a habit to leave 15 minutes early instead of 15 minutes late

• continue to clean and organize daily - eliminating these visual (clutter) should help one function and feel better

- use the paper pile( 1 or 2 through the home)

- put dirty clothes in basement, laundry basket, or just plain out of sight

- wash dishes or rinse and stack dishes daily (if don't have time to wash)

- take garbage out daily

• take out ME-time to unwind. Try to take 30 minutes in the AM or PM to just breath, relax and think. Walk or do a breathing exercise or try to take a 30 minute cat nap with the ringers off and kid off limits. TAKE A DAILY MENTAL BREAK FROM THE WORLD!!!!!! however you see fit.

• stop waiting until the last minutes. Make a prioritized to do-list and follow it. Make your own deadline, this way you are finished ahead of time. This is especially true for grade books, attendance books, lesson plans that are due every Monday, papers to return and etc. It works for cleaning to-do-projects in your home.

Denise Lewis