If you feel like there is not enough time in your life for stress management, here are some tips which may be useful.

Wake up 15 minutes earlier than normal. Designate this as your time to get a jump on the day. Use the time in any way that helps you reduce stress. Exercise, write your "to do" list for the day, meditate, run or walk around the block. Be creative! This is bonus time. Don’t worry about the lost sleep, either. Fifteen minutes is not enough time to make a difference in loss of sleep, but it could make a tremendous difference in your day!

Schedule an appointment with yourself. You schedule appointments with other people all day. If you have an important project that you work on "when you get the time," and that is usually after hours, it is time to start prioritizing! Block out some time each day when your energy is at its highest, forward your phone to your voice mail, and close your office door. You will be amazed by your increased productivity and reduced stress when you aren’t racing against deadlines. By giving yourself more lead time, the quality of your work will improve, and you will feel great!

Schedule vacations. Can you remember the last real vacation you had? Take a look at project schedules for the coming year, and schedule your vacation at a time when you will most easily be able to get out of the office. It may also be helpful to seek coverage early, so your co-workers experience less stress by having to fill in on short notice. Take this time to relax and, as Stephen Covey says in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, sharpen your saw. It takes much less effort to get the job done when you are sharp and fresh. Vacations are excellent saw sharpeners!