Hi! I'm writing for burnout employees just like me. With heavy workloads and overlapping schedules, we are candidates for hypertension. But wait! I'm no longer a candidate. I'm a certified hypertensive since five years ago and advised to take maintenance medicine which I am averse to. That's why I endeavor to read a lot of self help books and surf the net on topics related to stress management, lifestyle modification and alternative medicine.

I've already read of lot of materials on stress management and stress relief. Most of them are long list of tips to beat stress, the longest one came up with 36 tips which soon I forget after finishing the article. Being uncomfortable with long lists, I invented my own formula to guide me in real life application. It just hit me that I can summarize these ideas into just five key points which I assigned an acronym S.L.E.E.P. for easy recall and facilitate compliance monitoring. This stands for sleep itself, laugh, exercise, eat right and pray. How I practice each of them is elaborated below:

1. Sleep. A sound, adequate sleep at night is heaven sent for me. It recharges and prepares me for another grueling day. I consider myself blessed because once my eyes start drooping, I forget all the cares in the world. If there are times I can't readily sleep because my mind is somewhere else, I don't force the issue. I make use of the time doing menial things I keep on putting off until I become sleepy. I'm talking here of normal situations. It's a fact that sleep is elusive when we are in difficult circumstances. Here are my personal thoughts on how to be able to sleep well:

• Do not envy others. When you see others much better off than you, ,just think that life in this world is temporary. We cannot take our worldly riches with us to the next life. Instead, take stock of your blessings and thank God for them before you sleep.
  

• Manage your debts. Strive to leave within your means or maybe it it still possible, below your means. Think about it! What's your motivation when you acquire things which you really don't need. If too many creditors are after you, you can't sleep figuring out how to escape them!
  

• Practice the art of saying No. This is because we can only do so much. We know the limits of our time and capabilities. Of course, we cannot say no to your boss if you are an employee (gripe!). But there are win-win strategies in getting through assignments and projects without laying the whole thing on our shoulders. If we do tasks with a heavy heart on a daily basis, this affects our sleep pattern.
  

• Settle conflicts upfront. If issues are not resolved upfront, it could build up and the hurt and the anger will bother you in your sleep.

• Don't worry about the future. Only God knows what's in store for us. We ask for what we desire in life but in the end, God knows what's best for us.
  

2. Laugh. According to the Bible, "a merry heart doeth like a medicine". Actually, my tips on how to be able to sleep well I mentioned above is also applicable here. If you have peace of mind, and you have inner joy, you can even laugh at your own mistakes.

Be with co-workers who have positive outlook. These are people who see opportunities in the midst of negative circumstances. Who knows bottlenecks that prevent you from getting to what you want are blessings in disguise. I have my own account of "blessing in disguise", but it is a long story. Maybe I can share it in another hub in the near future. In the meantime, be reminded that a hearty laugh exercises your lungs. Take it from me.

3. Exercise. This needs no further elaboration. All stress management gurus recommend flexing our bodies as basic to stress management. My exercise regimen include daily walking, gardening on weekends, and of course my favorites, cleaning the house and washing clothes. Having other things to do also exercises the mind into thinking of something else, other than work.

4. Eat right. The stress management experts and health buffs tell us to - eat healthy foods, nourish your body, avoid junk foods, keep a balance diet and many others. I'll give a title to this list: Eat Right. My "eat right" regimen are - lavish on fruits and vegetables, use spices in my home recipes with wild abandon, reduce meat and dairy products, moderate coffee and tea and daily dosage of Vitamins C & E. I think there should be no hard and fast rules. The key is moderation. You have to establish your limits. It takes discipline and personal responsibility.

5. Pray. Prayer and meditation can ease tensions and lift our spirits. God has a way of turning things around for us. If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).What I am actually praying to God write now is to bless me in my pursuit to become my own boss in the very near future. Wish me luck.

I am sharing my simple thoughts in this article for hubpages visitors and also for me. Finding peace and serenity is a journey. With this sharing, I will be motivated, if not pressured, to walk my talk to keep me on track to my destination. I wish I can bring along others in this journey. God bless us all! Good luck!