There are many commitments and responsibilities in your personal life that can cause stress, including:

• Finances
• Family
• Friends
• Environment
• Community

Finances

Money can be a major source of stress for individuals and families. Frequently, people will ignore their finances until something goes wrong, such as an overdraft. Avoidance is usually caused by a desire not to know the true state of their finances or not knowing how to manage their finances appropriately.

The only way to reduce the stress caused by personal finances is to thoroughly examine how you currently manage your money and make careful decisions about how you want to handle it in the future. The following actions can be important steps to help you organize your finances:

If you do not understand something, ask for help from a professional.

• Create a savings plan.
• Create a strategy for paying-off debt.
• Use a realistic budget that allows you to pay bills on time, and know where your money goes.
• Obtain necessary insurance for you, your family, and your possessions.

Family

Although families can be a great source of encouragement in times of high stress, they can also be the source of stress. Two-career families, especially those with children, are frequently confronted with high-stress situations due to conflicting obligations. In addition, some families experience the stress associated with caring for elderly parents.

To reduce the amount of stress you experience at home, try implementing some of the following guidelines:

• Be honest about your need for ”down time” and privacy.
• Take turns allowing each family member to have the space he or she needs to recharge.
• Find or create a space in your home where you can spend some quiet, personal time.
• Create a plan to manage household tasks, based on input from all family members.
• When possible, hire people to help you with cleaning, errands, or watching the children after school.

Friends

Friends are usually a great source of support and happiness, but the stress you and your friends experience must be carefully balanced to maintain friendships. When you are experiencing stress, do not withdraw from friends since they can help you feel better. However, you should be careful not to overwhelm them with your need for support. Similarly, when your friends are experiencing stress you should be supportive, but be careful that you do not let their stress and frustrations add to your own level of stress.

Environment

Your home environment offers many potential sources of stress, making it difficult to relax. You can make your house stress-free by eliminating clutter and simplifying your environment.

The following guidelines will help you streamline your home environment:

• Sort through everything and eliminate items you do not use, like, or wear.
• Store extra items, such as decorations or dishware, so they are not in your way.
• Hire help for tasks that are time-consuming or difficult for you, such as sewing and mending.
• Do not do everything at once. If your house needs major cleaning or reorganizing, complete the project in manageable phases.
• Take advantage of direct deposit and electronic bill paying.

Community

Volunteer activities, such as community-oriented campaigns and helping with activities at your child’s school, can provide a direction in which to focus your interests. However, they can also be the source of excess stress. You need to be careful not to overextend yourself so your involvement does not interfere with your ability to complete your other obligations.