No one knows what the New Year will bring. Without a doubt, there are hills and valleys in our lives at every turn. That can bring stress . . . and with it, seemingly unrelated health issues: a slight pain, upset stomach, backache, sleep problems and overeating.

You can’t make all stressful situations—or people—vanish. Yet, there are steps you can take to ease their impact on you and your health. Here are some suggestions to help you face 2012 with a positive attitude.

1. Manage stressful situations differently. Try playing relaxing classical music or nature sounds. Both can reduce your blood pressure and relax your brain.

2. Call a friend. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, take a break to call a friend and talk about your problems. Good relationships with friends and loved-ones are important to any healthy lifestyle. There’s no time that this is more evident than when you’re under a lot of stress. A reassuring voice, even for a minute, can put everything in perspective.

3. Cleaner eating. Make a list of your negative food talk and a list of your trigger foods, then create a script describing how you are going to deal with them. Envision yourself thinner, healthier because of your new eating plan. Dispel all the “attractions” you attached to those trigger foods. A bad diet and stress go hand-in-hand. Get some omega-3 fatty acids in your diet to reduce stress.

4. Become stronger. Find a quiet place and get a clear understanding of what it is you want to accomplish— like quitting negative lifestyle behavior. Make the images vivid, direct. See yourself as in control, standing strong and tall . . . walking away from that behavior. Recognize how good that feels and congratulate yourself for choosing freedom from bad habits.

 5. No-more-fear rule. I don’t believe in letting fear, negativity or selfpunishment steer my life . . . and neither should you. Determine what those emotions are in your life and what is triggering them. Then bundle up those emotions and imagine them as ugly monsters, then give them a swift kick out the door. Redirect the time you were spending on the misplaced emotional energy to areas that bring real value and joy.

 6. Hypnosis. Turn off the phone and get to a quiet area where you’ll be undisturbed. If you’re sitting, set your fee flat on the floor and rest your hands by your thighs. Lying down?

Relax and rest your hands by your sides. Close your eyes and take a few long, deep breaths. Inhale as deeply as possible, then exhale. Do that three or four times. Focus on the rhythm of your own breathing and imaging you are inhaling “relaxation” and exhaling “tension.” With every breath, imagine you’re bringing in positive, calming energy that floods your entire being. Acknowledge this exercise by saying “I inhale peace and relaxation and exhale tension” and picturing yourself calmer, stress free.

7. Get moving. Even a short walk can wipe away stress. To detoxify your body, try exercising for 30 minutes. You don’t need to run a marathon to get the positive benefits exercise provides against stress.

8. Take time to unwind. All work and no play won’t just make you a dull person, it will skyrocket your stress. You need to find time to unwind. Try some light reading in a quiet room, yoga, meditation or listening to relaxing music.

9. Laughter is good therapy. It’s an easy, effective way to destroy stress. When you laugh, endorphins are set free that work to reduce levels of the hormones that cause stress.

10. Get mindful of time. Being overwhelmed can be a big cause of stress. Fortunately, mastering time management skills can solve this problem. Learn to break down tasks and prioritize them. You don’t need fancy software, a simple pen and paper will suffice.