Startig Sunday evening or Monday morning, make a list of tasks and errands you need to finish for the week. Decide what tasks you need to complete for the week and make a plan for when and how to do them. Be realistic, and if you feel overwhelmed make a separate list or section for tasks that can wait til the following week. Making lists is a great way to lay out your plans ahead of time and consider realistic ways to multi-purpose your errands. Be sure to work in plans you can look forward to among your obligations. Checking off “spending a half hour on your Sunday crossword puzzle,” will feel equally, if not more rewarding than your other tasks, when you have something fun to look forward to.

Stanford researchers, in a study of 259 people who received forgiveness training, found that 70% of them had decreased feelings of hurt, 27% had reduced physical symptoms of stress, and 15% had lower emotional stress.

Can’t find the time for fitness? Move your walk to the evening or store athletic shoes under your desk or in your car. This way, you’re better prepared for afternoon or after dinner strolls. Look for a shoe that bends where the toes bend, not in the middle, which could put stress on that part of the foot and cause abnormal motion.

“It’s really important to do something you enjoy every day,” Rob Udewitz, Ph.D., says. Hobbies such as knitting can help reduce stress response; other hobbies — especially ones that involve working with your hands, including cooking, sewing, woodworking or gardening — can create similar calming responses. Incorporating these leisure activities can help pull you out of your funk because you’re forced to focus on something outside yourself.

Trapping your feet in heels may make catch you a little time in the limelight, but it’s your ankles, knees, and hips will require more attention after too much time teetering on too-tall heels. The angle forces your ankle joints to work overtime to keep things balanced and erodes cartilage. To help your hips and legs, lower your standard heels. A 3-inch heel puts seven times as much pressure on your foot (which also affects your ankles and knees) as a 1-incher. Cap heel height at 2 inches and opt for platforms or wedges to make your walk more comfortable and for extra stability, search for soles with shock-absorbing materials like cork and rubber.

What’s on the inside is deeply connected with what’s on the outside. Your physical appearance speaks volumes about your diet, habits, vices, fitness level, emotional state, how happy you are in your job and relationships and what you think about yourself. Enrich your inner self and your outer appearance will follow suit.

Researchers at Loma Linda University Medical Center had adults view funny videos, and found that humor triggered a physiological response similar to exercise. Laughter increased endorphins and neurotransmitters, lowered stress hormone levels, and activated T-cells, which fight viruses.

Exfoliating scrubs or peels are like tough love for your complexion: A bit of abrasion can sends dead skin cells packing and exposes a softer skin underneath. But too much exfoliation can take instigate acne, make skin more vulnerable to irritation and cause rashes, breakouts, bacterial infection and scarring. If feel your skin can usually stand the extra scrub, you should still bypass products with rough particles and opt for ones featuring smooth beads made from jojoba wax (a moisturizing plant oil) or beeswax. Check with you dermatologist, and if your scrub feels too harsh, save it for dry spots like knees and elbows. Moisturize to help prevent irritation, wait a week between exfoliating treatments, and limit at-home peels to once every 2 weeks. If you feel burning (a little sting is normal), immediately rinse with water, apply moisturizer, and toss the peel.

Qigong is an active Chinese meditation routine that combines hundreds of graceful dancelike exercises. By focusing on these repetitive movements and your breathing, your mind pushes aside intrusive thoughts and elicits the body’s relaxation response: Your heart rate slows down and blood pressure, adrenaline, and cortisol levels drop. To find a local instructor, go to the National Qigong Association’s Web site, nqa.org.

Instant oatmeal trumps All Bran and Muesli for fullness factor.