Stress can take its toll on the body. Take care of yourself by doing some preventative stress maintenance.

Eat right. Your body requires proper nutrition in order for it to be able to supply the muscles with energy and to make essential hormones necessary to cope with stress.

Do Consume

* Plenty of water (8 glasses a day minimum)
* Zinc and Magnesium rich foods (seafood, beans, grains)
* Vitamin A and Folic acid rich foods (dark greens, orange juice)
* Wholegrain breads, cereals
* Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
* Lowfat milk or soymilk

Avoid

* Caffeine
* Alcohol
* Sugar
* Salt
* Saturated fats
* Skipping Breakfast. Breakfast helps maintain steady blood-sugar levels throughout the day

Stay Fit. One of the best ways of relieving stress is through physical exertion. Stress and anxiety cause a lot of pent up energy inside your body that needs to be released. Any type of aerobic exercise is the best choice from releasing stress, but exercise in general is better than nothing at all. By maintaining a healthy body, you will have the physical stamina to handle long and stress-involving negotiations. You should strive for at least three 30-minute sessions a week.

Sleep. You need adequate sleep for the body to recharge and repair itself after a long day’s work. Make sure you allow yourself enough time for an adequate amount of sleep (6-8 hours).

Smile. By smiling you not only appear more confident, sociable, and attractive to others, but it unconsciously makes you feel better too. Studies have shown that smiling makes you more relaxed and calms you down when you are stressed.

Avoid stress-causing situations. If you can avoid a stress-causing situation, then do so. While some stress-causing situations are unavoidable, there is simply no reason to add additional stress to your mind and body if there is no reason to. Avoid adding any unwarranted stress to your life.

Tristan Loo is an experienced negotiator and an expert in conflict resolution. He is the author of Street Negotiation--How To Resolve Any Conflict Anytime.He uses his law enforcement experience to train others in the prinicples of defusing conflict and reaching agreements. Visit his website at http://www.acrsonline.com or e-mail him directly at tristan@acrsonline.com

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