Set Goals, Then Chill

Just the idea of goal-setting might give you a stress headache, because that means adding more tasks to your schedule. But defining your goals can actually help reduce stress. It all depends on how you look at it.

"Reframe the task into something that sounds delightful to you," says SARK, an artist and author of Glad No Matter What. For example, if your goal is to clean out your closets, don't think of it as organizing--pretend it's a treasure hunt.

Reframing tasks is part of a strategy SARK developed called micromovements. Here's the gist: Set a goal and then identify eight baby steps, or micromovements, needed to get you there. Each micromovement must take five minutes or less. So one closet-cleaning micromovement might be to find an organization you feel especially good about donating unwanted items to.

"A micromovement is an ignition system, a way to get started and keep your inner critic from saying things like, 'You're still not doing your goal,' " SARK says. "You can do anything for five minutes, and most of the time you'll keep going once you start."

And, if nothing else, silencing those inner critics is one surefire way to kick some stress to the curb.