If a fire breaks out in your home, every second counts. Most people understand the importance of smoke alarms and how they can be lifesaving in the case of an emergency, but equally important is having a fire plan for your family so everyone knows what to do if a fire does break out.

The National Fire Protection Association offers guidelines that can help people put together a plan. Here are some things you should do:

First, gather your family and talk about how the most important thing to do if a fire breaks out is to leave the house immediately. Don’t run into a room to grab photos or a beloved heirloom. Don’t stop to find your sneakers. Just leave the house. Fire spreads quickly and even if flames haven’t gotten to the room where you want to save something, you could find yourself trapped.

A great thing to do is go through your home and look at all the possible exits and escape routes so you know what to do if you do wind up being trapped. Those with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking the ways out of each room.

Walk through your plan and check to make sure the routes are clear and doors and windows can be opened easily. You may think you have an easy out of a window, but if it’s stuck and won’t open easily, it could lead to disaster.

If there are infants, older adults or family members with mobility limitations in the house, make sure that someone is assigned to assist them in in the event of an emergency. And have a backup in case that person isn’t home if a fire were to break out.

For those with rooms on an upper level, having escape ladders is a good way to ensure that there will be a way out, even if the fire has permeated the floor. Practice setting up the ladder from a first-floor window to make sure you can do it correctly and quickly. And store it in a place that’s easy to get to (like under the bed) so you can find it right away if needed.

Choose an outside meeting place a safe distance in front of your home where everyone can meet after they’ve left the house so you know everyone is safe. And never go back in the home. Your mind might start thinking about that valuable vase or irreplaceable collectible, but your life is worth more than anything ever could be. Once out of the home, remain out and let the fire department come and do their job.

It’s a good idea to run a fire drill at least once a year so you can make sure everyone knows what to do and there will be less uncertainty if a future fire event does happen.

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.

As any homeowner knows, the living room is a major focal point of the home. From family gatherings throughout the year to sitting back and watching TV together at the end of a long week, the living room is often a home’s social center for family and friends alike.

That being said, furniture placement can distract from such gatherings, affecting the comfort and functionality of the room.

Here are some mistakes to avoid when it comes to arranging your living room furniture:

Forgetting the focal wall.
A focal wall is the first place the eye comes to rest when entering a room. While not every living room has a focal wall, if yours does, you don’t want to pass it up. Set up the furniture so that most of the seating is facing or angled toward the wall you’ve pegged as the focal wall. A fireplace, mounted TV or picture window are natural places to have a focal wall.

Too much furniture.
Don’t clutter your living room with too much furniture. The couch should be the biggest piece in the room and should get the focus it deserves.

Start by pushing everything else out of the way in order to see where the sofa fits the best. Then bring in smaller pieces of furniture to complement the sofa.

Adding furniture you don’t use.
After arranging the furniture so that it works well in the space, don’t add nonessential items to the living room that aren’t used on a day-to-day basis. For example, don’t let a small side table or a chair that’s rarely used take up space for the sake of filling up the area.

Extra furniture is a good thing to have when friends and family visit, but it doesn’t have to take up space in a living room every day if it isn’t used on a consistent basis.

Keeping everything.
When moving from one home to another, some people put the same furniture in their new living room simply out of habit. Even if the room is the same size as the old one, it doesn’t always make sense to incorporate the same furniture into the space.

If you recently moved into a new home—or have a move on the horizon—it’s important to consider how much you use something before integrating it into your living space. Surface areas such as coffee tables, side tables and desks may not be needed as often as you think. In the same vein, storage areas such as cabinets and trunks may not be opened for years but will ultimately take up valuable space in the family’s main gathering place.

A couch against the wall.
Pushing a couch against a wall can be the easiest way to set up the living room, but it may not create as much space as you think. Instead of simply pushing the couch against the wall, try pulling it out at least 12 inches. This will create some space, which will ultimately make the room feel bigger.

While pushing the couch against the wall may be a good idea if you’re looking to get it out of the way, it can create a lot of dead space in the middle of the room. No matter your style, take the time to think outside the box and try something new…and see what happens.