Avoid unnecessary conflict. Of course, it is not possible to avoid every disagreement, but you can use this technique to help keep situations from becoming worse and stressing you out even further.

Before you respond to a difficult person or situation, take a few seconds to think about how you can quickly and effectively diffuse the situation. Often, the best thing to say is that you understand how they’re feeling and then ask them: “How can we make things right?” Doing this throws the responsibility back into their court and transitions the conversation towards solution seeking.

Decide what you can handle before you start your workday. Many of us dive right into our tasks as soon as we arrive at work, without taking the time to decide how much we can handle or what we absolutely have to accomplish that day. The few minutes you spend each morning planning your day can save you hours of wasted time, as well as saving you a great deal of stress. You don’t go to a foreign country without a map and a plan. The same goes for your workday. Plan things out so you won’t waste time figuring out what to do next.