Stress arrives uninvited and rarely announces how long it plans to stay. The question is not whether we will feel it - we all do - but who ends up in charge when it does.
The people who manage stress best are rarely the ones with the easiest lives. They are the ones who have built small, reliable habits into the day: real breaks, honest limits, movement, sleep, and the good sense to ask for help before the tank is empty.
Taking charge starts with noticing - catching the tension in the shoulders, the shortened temper, the skipped lunch - and answering it deliberately rather than pushing through. If stress begins to feel unmanageable or persistent, a doctor or counselor can help you find your footing again.
Originally published in View AZ Highlife Magazine, Spring 2008.