1. Eat.

Seriously. I see many people right around lunchtime getting anxious or irritated or sending out snappish emails. Once they eat, they almost seem to say, "What was that all about?" We usually don't see the connection between low blood sugar (caused by hunger) and our stress levels.

2. If you have a door, shut it at least once a day. 

I know this can seem standoffish, but it can make a huge difference. Not only can you concentrate better, but you lessen the typical external noise associated with any office environment. Add to this another stressor that is minimized: self-consciousness. Whether you are aware of this or not, no one is exempt from feeling a little tense knowing coworkers can hear their calls or conversations.

If you feel that others will wonder why you are shutting your door, just communicate with them why you are shutting the door. All presumptions of People magazine reading will be dispelled! A final note to those with doors: those without doors would really appreciate it if you would use them during loud conversations or speaker-phone calls. No kidding.

3. If you don't have a door, get creative.

Many of us don't have a door, so #2 may feel like a kick in the shin. So what if you don't have a door?

Some ideas:

Try to build an environment around you that feels private or enclosed. Moving a desk or chair can block traffic, drop-bys, and noise. Plants, bookshelves, and turning your chair so that you don't face passers-by can also work well.

Can you wear a headset? If you aren't working directly with customers, you may be able to play soothing music on a headset to block the noise. Just make sure you can hear your Phone.

Send an email, if possible, to your coworkers alerting them to special projects or high stress times. Just letting them know that minor items requiring your attention would be best put on hold for now will help your stress level until things get back to normal. Many people aren't aware that you are under pressure. You may feel that your frantic pace and frazzled appearance are obvious…but others may think you've just had too much caffeine! Make your workload clear, and most people will understand. (And steer clear for now!)

4. Go to bed early.

My favorite personal de-stressor. Many people find they get a second wind about 10 p.m. And stay up reading or watching TV. (Letterman can be TIVO'ed, ya know.) Consequently, people are tired the next day. That alone is a huge burden to carry around for the day. Force yourself to turn off the lights once a week by 9 p.m. When you wake up (sometimes without the alarm), you will be glad that you gave yourself the time to sleep.

One of the best stress-busters is to weed out the chaos and complexity of your work world. Here's a quote from Elaine St. James, the bestselling author of Simplify Your Life and Simplify Your Life at Work: "Maintaining a complicated life is a great way to avoid improving it."

Are you finding yourself at the end of a workday unsure of where the time went? You know you were busy, but you just aren't sure what you accomplished? If you answered "yes," then chances are your work life is too complicated. The complexity is creating distractions, reactive responses on your part, a dull roar constantly in the background with no time for planning, thinking, assessing.

To start minimizing the distractions and simplifying your work life, try a few of these suggestions adapted from St. James:

Keep asking the question, "Is this activity going to streamline and simplify my work flow?"

Ask, "What is it that's most complicating my life?"

Always estimate the time it will take to get a project done—then double it.

In any stress management regime, the emphasis on water intake is always mentioned. But why is water so important? What happens if we don't take in the standard eight-ounce glasses every day? Is it really going to do that much harm? Read on for some important facts on good ol' H2O.

1. Lack of water is the number-one trigger of daytime fatigue.

2. Seventy-five percent of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

3. Dehydration has been linked to allergies, depression, irritability, and short-term memory loss.

4. In 37 percent of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is often mistaken for hunger.

5. A mere 2 percent drop in body water can trigger fuzziness, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

6. Even mild dehydration will slow down one's metabolism and stop the elimination of toxins.

7. One glass of water shuts down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100 percent of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

8. Preliminary research indicates that eight to ten glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80 percent of sufferers.

9. Drinking five glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45 percent, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79 percent, and one is 50 percent less likely to develop bladder cancer.