Let's face it: life can be a stressful existence. But it's life, after all, so learning to manage the levels of stress we all seem to be subject to is the goal. For people living in big Texas cities such as Houston, Dallas and Austin, the stress of life can be even greater than for people living in other areas, making it even more important to take steps to manage stress in effective ways.



Among the strategies experts turn to is learning to prepare for what lies ahead in the day. That can include the simple idea of getting up earlier, perhaps even 15 minutes earlier in the morning, using the time to reflect on the day and to help reduce the stress of meeting the inevitable "get to work on time" deadline.

Others combine getting up early with a look ahead the night before, preparing for the next morning by setting the breakfast table, making lunch, and putting out the clothes you'll be wearing.

Another stress buster is to free up the memory from relying on small, but important, things like appointment times or other tasks that must be done. Writing those items down in a planner (paper or electronic) allows you to free up the mind for other things and avoids the stress that comes from forgetting (or thinking that you've forgotten) something that's still an important part of the day.

If you're someone who tends to lose their set of keys, how about making a duplicate set and finding a spot to hide the key to your house or apartment? Losing keys can be a stressful situation for which there is a quick and easy solution. Take advantage of it.

When things break down, it's also a source of stress. Yet most items (think cars and other things mechanical) do fail, and usually at the least convenient times. Preventive maintenance may not be the end of your woes, but it could help avoid many of the inconvenient situations we often encounter.

Find yourself waiting in a doctor's office or in line for any other reason? Having a paperback book handy can put otherwise wasted time to good use and, by extension, help reduce the stress of the wait.

While putting something off can seemingly feel good, in that you've avoided a task that might otherwise be unpleasant, it actually causes stress, since the task hasn't actually gone away. A good rule of thumb is to simply pull ahead those tasks you want to do tomorrow. And whatever you want to do today, do it now.

Planning ahead can also be a stress buster. Personal rules like not letting the gas tank go below one- quarter full, keeping a well-stocked "emergency shelf" of key necessities at home, a supply of postage stamps or bus tokens are all ways to relieve stress before it occurs.

Another way to avoid or remove stress is to act on those annoying inconveniences that pop up from time to time. An alarm clock that doesn't work properly? Replace it. Windshield wipers that don't do the job? Ditto. Fix or replace, and do it now.

Stress can also be caused by giving ourselves too little time to make it to where we need to be at a certain time. Allowing yourself 15 minutes of extra time to get to appointments (or an hour before your plane leaves for a domestic flight) will go a long way toward reducing stress.

What you ingest can sometimes contribute to the level of stress, one reason some experts advocate eliminating or reducing the amount of caffeine people ingest. Stress can also be managed by taking into account the inevitability that some things will go wrong. Having a contingency plan for what to do when things don't go according to plan can help reduce the stress should that occur.

It can also be helpful to take things a little slower than you might otherwise consider. Grass needs to be mowed this weekend? Is the world going to end if it doesn't get done? Point taken.

When stress can result from not having enough information about a task that's been assigned, take a few moments to repeat the directions or what someone expects of you. The time it takes to seek clarification or confirmation could save hours and avoid volumes of potential stress at the same time.

Too busy and already stressed? People who learn to say "no" or "not now" find themselves avoiding or reducing stress in their lives. Those who are being asked won't necessarily be upset; rather, they may even come to respect your boundaries.

Unplug for a time. If you truly want to de-stress, the act of disconnecting on a deliberate basis --from the Internet, the cell phone, or other seemingly useful devices -- is a requirement for some. Remember, not everything is an emergency.

Avoiding or reducing stress is one of the best ways known for improving the quality of life and even living longer. How you take care of yourself will certainly affect you as you age, and eventually your wallet, as well.