I read the Happiness Blog in my RSS feed. I just caught up on some back articles today, and this one about relieving stress caught my eye. Basically, the author gave 9 great tips for relieving some day to day stress. I'll reprint them here, but I encourage everyone to go check out her blog.
1. Keep some cash in the house.
2. Never let your car’s gas level fall into the “empty” zone.
3. Have Advil (or whatever) at hand at all times.
4. Put your keys away in the same place every day.
5. Turn out the light as soon as you’re sleepy.
6. Walk around the block.
7. Take ten minutes before bed to tidy up.
8. If you have to pack a lunch for anyone, get it ready the night before.
9. Have at least one good friend who lives in the neighborhood.
#1 is one I have an issue with. I just don't keep a lot of cash around, as I don't want to spend a lot of cash. But my life would be less stressful if I had a spare $20 tucked away that I could use when needed. I sometimes skip the farmer's market because I don't have any cash, and making sure I have enough on hand would be helpful.
#4, #7, and #8 are particular favorites of mine. #6 is nice too (tho I prefer longer walks). #7 is my favorite because it's so simple but can go a long way toward producing a less stressful morning.
One tip of my own to add in: lay out your clothes the night before. For those of us who really aren't morning oriented, it's so nice to get up and be able to autopilot through the out-the-door routine.