As we recover from the Great Recession, money, work, and the state of the economy continue to be the top sources of stress for most Americans, according to the American Psychological Association's 2010 Stress in America survey.  High levels of stress can lead to inflammation, contributing to increased risk for stroke, arthritis, type 2 diabetes and other health issues.  During these economic times, it is important to find ways to manage your stress.  Check next week for more tips to help deal with stress!  Click here for more tips

1. Take a look in the mirror.  (Tape an old picture of yourself to the mirror.  Use this as a motivational tool . . . it works!)  (See "About Me" page).

2. Write down 5 things you'd like to change about yourself.  (Need to lose a few pounds?; Perhaps a new hairdo or hair color?; A complete makeover?; A new wardrobe?; etc., etc.) 

3. Be realistic about your changes.  (Don't set impossible goals!)

4. Set aside time for your goals.  (Commitment is key to your success!)

5. Stick to it and do it!

Ladies . . . if you're tired of losing your men to younger women . . . do something about it!  Give him something worth coming home to.  Do what you did to get him!  So often we forget what caught his eye in the beginning of the relationship.  Get back to basics!  When he married you, he could barely keep his hands off you!  Ask yourself what happened to the passion you both once felt?  Perhaps it's as simple as losing a few pounds.  Whatever it took to get him . . . is going to take to keep him!  Think about it.  When he married you, if you were an extremely sexy woman, and over time (perhaps after a baby or two), you've allowed yourself to blossom 3 or 4 sizes larger . . . you're no longer that sexy woman he married!  That's why I choose to use old pictures of myself as a constant reminder that if I once possessed sex appeal . . . I can keep it . . . and so can you!  So go to the photo album and select several photos of yourself in the early days of your relationship, and challenge yourself to recapture that sex appeal that once drove him wild!