We all have stress in our lives. Busy days at work, problems at home, traffic jams and money trouble are prime examples of stressful situations. However, chronic stress can lead to serious health issues, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and depression, so preventing and managing stress is essential to living happier and healthier.

Here are some tips from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help you deal with stress:

Prepare yourself. Prepare ahead of time for stressful events like a job interview or a hard conversation with a loved one. Stay positive, picture what the room will look like and what you’ll say, and have a backup plan.

Plan your time. Feeling in control of your situation could lower stress. Think ahead about how you’re going to use your time. Write a to-do list and figure out what’s most important–then do that thing first. Be realistic about how long each task will take.

Relax with deep breathing or meditation. These are two effective ways to relax your muscles and clear your mind.

Relax your muscles. Stress causes tension in your muscles. Try stretching or taking a hot shower to help you relax.

Get active. Regular physical activity can help prevent and manage stress. It can also help relax your muscles and improve your mood. Aim for 2.5 hours a week of physical activity. Try riding a bike, taking a walk or lifting weights. Be sure to exercise for at least 10 minutes at a time.

Eat healthy. Give your body plenty of energy by eating healthy, including vegetables, fruits and lean sources of protein.

Talk to friends and family. Tell your friends and family if you’re feeling stressed. They may be able to help.

Get professional help if you need it. Stress is a normal part of life. But if your stress doesn’t go away or keeps getting worse, you may need expert help. A mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist or social worker, can help treat stress-related conditions. Lots of people need help dealing with stress–it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

A garage is an excellent place for storage, but things are often put there and forgotten. This can result in a disorganized mess that makes it difficult to find room for vehicles and other important items. If your garage could use some organization, you need a strategy.

Get Help and Make a Plan
First, realize that organizing a garage is a task that will take a lot of time and effort. Set aside at least two consecutive days and find people to help you. Dividing the work among several people and multiple days will make it more manageable and less stressful, which means you will be more likely to get it done.

When organizing your garage, you need a plan. You can work out the details and make changes along the way, but having a general idea of what should go where and which items you can get rid of will help you avoid feeling frustrated and overwhelmed.

Look around and take stock of what is in the garage. Make a list of categories that you can use to organize items. You will want separate areas for tools, car care equipment, paint, seasonal items, sports equipment and other belongings. If any items can be safely and conveniently stored inside the house, that will make it easier to organize the rest of your possessions in the garage.

Decide where to put each category of items based on how often you use them. Frequently used tools should be stored in a toolbox or hung on a wall. Lawn and garden equipment should be easily accessible. Seasonal items can be put in an out-of-the-way place where you can still get to them without too much trouble.

If the garage does not have shelves or cabinets, installing some can make organizing much easier. You can purchase shelves and cabinets at a home improvement store and install them yourself or assign the job to one of your helpers.

In the process of organizing the garage, you will likely come across things that are broken or that you no longer use. Either throw them out or donate them. If you have a lot of trash, consider renting a dumpster. Designate an area for items to donate.

Make Sure Everyone Is on the Same Page
Communication is vital when working with a team on a large project such as organizing a garage. Before you get started, discuss the plan. Listen to others’ suggestions, make any changes you consider reasonable, then settle on a final plan and be sure that everyone understands it. Making signs to indicate where various types of items should go can help the group avoid confusion, arguments and wasted time.

Get Started
Looking at a messy garage every day can be frustrating and overwhelming. The problem won’t take care of itself, so the best thing is to come up with a plan and tackle it head-on. Get some friends or family members to help you make the process more manageable.

 

If you’re handy around the house, the thought of tackling a variety of home improvement projects with your own two hands might have crossed your mind a time or two.

But before you dig into a DIY project, it’s important to consider some factors beyond your ability to do the job right. You’ll also want to consider the cost of all the tools and materials needed, as well as the amount of time you’ll need to devote to the project.

Here are four important questions to ask yourself before attacking a DIY project at home:

How complex is it?
You may know how to hang drywall and install a kitchen sink, but do you really want to do everything that’s required in a complete kitchen makeover?

The bigger and more complex a project is, the greater the chance that it might be too much work for one person. You may need to hire a few professionals to help, or at least a contractor to oversee the project and help you in the areas where you need it.

Do you have the skills for it?
Depending on the project, you may need one or two skills, or perhaps you’ll need to deal with plumbing, carpentry, electrical and metalwork to successfully complete the DIY project at hand.

Before starting any new project, assess your skills, and be sure to factor how easily you can learn new ones into the equation. If it’s a skill you’re unlikely to use again, you might be better off hiring a pro.

Could you damage your home?
Consider what the worst-case scenario is if your project goes awry and you mess something up. Not knowing what you’re doing is a surefire way to not only make the problem worse, but also more expensive than it would have been had you hired a professional from the beginning.

If you’re unsure how to work with electrical, for instance, you may want to avoid the chance of causing a fire or injuring yourself. In the same vein, taking down a load-bearing wall can risk the safety of your home if you don’t know what you’re doing.

What’s your time worth?
Spending weeks on a project that should have taken a weekend can get expensive not only from the standpoint of extra supplies, but also from the cost of your time.

Put a dollar value on your time, such as an hourly rate, and factor that into the project’s cost. In the end, will you still save money by doing it yourself? If you enjoy doing the project and have plenty of free time, it’s probably worth doing yourself. But if you could be making money elsewhere—or don’t have the time to do it well—consider hiring a pro.

A grass lawn, trees and flowers all look wonderful in a yard—if they’re properly maintained.

All that work leads to an enjoyable view, but not much else. But instead of getting little in return for their yard work, homeowners can take advantage of their land and plant vegetables and fruits that can feed them for years to come.

Here are five types of edible landscaping to consider planting in your yard:

Herbs
A bed of herbs can be as small or large as you want. Rosemary, thyme and oregano are easy to grow in a small garden bed that’s simple to build yourself, or you can plant them in pots on a patio or straight in the ground. Basil, an herb used often in Italian dishes, can grow almost anywhere.

Greens
Lettuce, radishes, carrots, cabbage, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, arugula and other salad greens can be planted in a small garden in a yard.

Leafy vegetables prefer nitrogen-rich soil, so add a lot of compost or manure before sowing seeds. Most will require regular watering and four to six hours of sun per day. If you live in a region where the temperature regularly exceeds 75 degrees Fahrenheit, grow salad greens in a shaded area so that they don’t form seeds.

Trees
Fruit and nut trees provide shade and food. Apple, peach and pear trees are common types to grow in a home’s yard.

According to the Arbor Day Foundation, the best low-maintenance fruit trees are plum, peach, pear and cherry. They don’t require aggressive watering and only require minimal fertilizer applications.

Nut trees that can be grown in a variety of locations include almond, chestnut, hazelnut, pecan, pine nut and walnut.

Vining Plants
By putting up a few decorative trellises in your yard, you can create a sitting area or entryway that’s full of edible vegetables or fruits called vining plants.

While scarlet runner beans can grow in the ground, they also look fantastic on a trellis with their red flowers climbing around it. Other kinds of vine-type beans can also be grown. Peas, squash and grapes are also excellent vining plants that can add flavor and beauty to a yard.

Edible Flowers
For the best of both worlds, plant edible flowers that are beautiful and can be turned into a salad that looks like a piece of art. Some edible flowers also work well in drinks and desserts.

Types of edible flowers include calendula, zucchini blossoms, hibiscus, lavender, nasturtiums, pansies and roses.

Don’t use flowers that have been sprayed with pesticides or other chemicals. After picking edible flowers, wash them gently in a bowl of cold water and let them dry on a paper towel. Use them immediately, or store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container lined with a damp paper towel for up to a week.