THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY HOURS IN A DAY

If you answered "yes" to some of these questions, you're not alone. Stress is reaching epidemic proportions, and it's more than just an inconvenience...

According to studies from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, more than 50% of Americans suffer adverse health effects due to stress. Researchers estimate that up to 90% of illness and disease is stress-related. And, employers should be just as concerned about this as employees...

$300 billion, or roughly $7,500 per employee, is spent annually in the United States on stress-related compensation claims, reduced productivity, absenteeism, insurance costs, medical expenses, and employee turnover.

And yet, stress is manageable and reversible. One of the keys is to be more effective at managing time, and there are highly effective ways to improve time-management and increase free-time. Here are just a few:

1. Plan ahead - gather the information and tools you're going to need for an assignment before you begin the actual work.

2. Set goals and stick to them - goals provide direction and help foster a sense of achievement. Make sure your goals are realistic, measurable, and attainable.

3. Prioritize - not all tasks are created equal, but if you treat them that way, you'll probably never finish any of them. So, identify key tasks and devote your energy to those.

4. Create a "To Do" list - creating a list and checking off completed work can help you develop an understanding of the work at hand, and the time required for completing it.

5. Plan for the unplanned - interruptions, distractions, and emergencies are part of business. So, when you plan ahead, include some time for the unexpected.

6. To clear your mind, clean your desk - to prevent being overwhelmed before a new assignment, file or throw away what you're not using, and start clean.

7. Don't be a perfectionist - certainly do things to the best of your ability, but don't obsess. At a certain point, attention to detail turns into procrastination.

8. Don't procrastinate - it's easier said than done, but it can be done. Try dividing a big task into smaller ones, and change your habits one baby step at a time.

9. Learn how to say "no" - turning down an assignment may not be easy, but it's better for everyone to be honest about what you can and cannot achieve.

10. Learn how to say "yes" - a lot of people want to do everything themselves. But, if help is offered, don't hesitate to say "yes." Success requires teamwork.

11. Reward yourself - even small successes should be noted and even celebrated. Try promising yourself a reward before you begin a project; it may inspire you.

12. Engage everyone in the effort - how you manage your time can determine how others manage theirs'. When everyone works together, everyone wins, and the prize is usually less stress and more free-time.