Here's the thing - there is NO possible way to completely avoid stress in your life, especially when you're working as hard as you can to stay afloat, whatever the industry. Just not gonna happen, bottom line. Stress is a part of life. People deal with it in different ways - laughter, retail therapy, kickboxing, etc... But there is one way I don't recommend.

STOP EATING YOUR FEELINGS. At least for the sake of your own mentality.

Yes, sometimes it's necessary to have your feelings for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with the occasional feeling for a mid-afternoon snack. We're human, food is good, often making you feel better than that stack of papers staring you in the face, screaming "I need cover sheets!" And let's be honest, sometimes there's nothing more victorious than devouring a classic salty-sweet combo with a side of delicious heaven (and a Diet Coke, of course).

But what does constant feeling-consumption really do at the end of the day? It starts a vicious cycle of you feeling bad (or worse) that you ate your feelings in the first place, followed by fatigue and frustration, causing more stress and less-than-satisfactory results. AAAANNNNNNNDDDD, those papers still need cover sheets. 

I'm not advocating any kind of diet program, but I do propose a productive means of "working it out," whatever "it" is, cover sheets or otherwise. What I suggest is taking the time to release the necessary emotions when needed. You owe it to yourself to express yourself and conquer whatever is hindering your chi. 

So, next time you think about eating your feelings, treat yourself to a donut or two, sure, but make sure to get to the root of the situation, and tell it to shut up, so you can get on with your life.

How often do we find ourselves in a situation, telling ourselves, "Dang, it would be awesome if that one song was playing..."?  You know the ones - gets you pumped for a challenging moment, sets the tone for the perfect day or reminds of you of that one time way back when...

Where do they find that perfect soundtrack in the movies or on our favorite episode of Grey's Anatomy? As I blast my melodies from sweet headphones, or enjoy the combination of acoustics with the open air, I often wish I had a track-master following me around playing that perfect tune - much like the Ally McBeal characters back in the day.

So I've decided to take on that mission, at least for today. Based on my mood, here's my shortlist:

1. Waiting in Vain - Bob Marley
2. The Truth - Handsome Boy Modeling School
3. The Prayer - Kid Cudi
4. Love Gonna Walk Out On Me - Toots & The Maytals ft. Ben Harper
5. Nicest Thing - Kate Nash
6. Glass Half Empty - Jonatha Brooke

And, for those in need of some inspiration, Pandora is always the way to find great tunes similar to your liking.

Or there is a book to enjoy, Love is a Mix Tape, by Rob Sheffield - a story about love and life facilitated by sound bytes.

I can honestly say that i didn't make any resolutions this year, except to learn to breathe again.

Everyday we're caught up in trying to solve everything at once, often losing sleep, eating our feelings, taking it out on other people. We forget how to be ourselves, and more importantly, how to LAUGH.

Well for January at the very least, I do declare that it's not worth it - it is IMPOSSIBLE to solve everything life brings you in a day. And if you think about it, a lot of the trivial things are just funny.

As my late grandfather would say, "One day at a time." If you make it through, you're golden.

So you decide, but no matter what, be yourself - everyone else is already taken.