Less Stress in 2009: Expert Advice

Mary Loverde

The Expert: Mary Loverde, life-balance expert, former director of the Hypertension research Center at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and author of three bestselling books, including I Used to Have a Handle on Life but It Broke.

Stress Confession: I obsess about the little stuff. A lot of times before I fall asleep, I'll think about what I haven't gotten done and what I still have to do tomorrow. I'll obsess about my e-mails, the dirt in the corners or something that was said about me.

New Year's Resolution: Pay more attention to what really matters. I'm going to spend less time on the minutiae and pay more attention to connecting with the important things in life: family, faith, friends, fun, finances and health. My new life-balance motto is going to be: When you can't keep up, connect. I'll ask myself, "Okay, who do I need to connect with today?" Sometimes it'll be myself. Other times I'll just pick up the phone and ask someone to help me -- my mother, my child, my friend. We feel stressed when we feel disconnected.