Weekdays are the most stressful part of the week for obvious reasons. You're short on time but not on things to do. From getting the kids out the door to hitting the gym, from getting to work on time to fixing dinner, Monday through Friday is go, go, go! One of the easiest ways to make your weekdays less stressful is also one of the most obvious and overlooked. Choosing clothes that are low maintenance and easy to wear and getting them ready to go ahead of time can save untold time and stress during your day.

If your job requires that you dress up, you're probably familiar with the wide range of business casual fabrics and styles. You can choose fancy, expensive clothes that require dry cleaning, hand washing or ironing - but why? If you pay attention when you shop, dress clothes can be just as comfortable as casual attire. Really! For pants, look for wrinkle-resistant fabrics. Pants and skirts in Polyester/Spandex blends hang well on any frame and staunchly refuse to wrinkle! Tops can come in the same fabric blends, but sweaters made of easy maintenance fabrics are also a good idea. Fortunately, sweaters are available for all types of weather and look professional, particularly when paired with simple, stylish jewelry. Since you probably spend more time in work clothes than you do in pajamas, you want them to be as comfortable as possible.

The second step to stress-free weekday wear is making sure your clothes are ready to go. Regardless of how maintenance free your business-casual wardrobe is, make sure all of your work wear is washed and ready to go before Monday morning. If you get the chance, it's also a good idea to lay out which clothes you want to wear the night before. Even if the weather is fluctuating, you'll have a good idea of what will be good the next day.

When great looking clothes are ready to go in the morning, your day runs a lot more smoothly. Sure, there are some things you can't control. But a stylish and comfortable start to your day is a good foundation, and it saves time, too!

As I discussed last week, the physical and mental experience of stress can actually be used to your advantage. Although stress is blamed for a surprising range of personal problems today, it can be used to restructure different aspects of your life to actually prevent stress in the future. You may be thinking, how on earth is that possible?

Like fear and pain, stress is your body or mind's way of telling you that something is wrong. When you're afraid, you usually know what you're afraid of. When you're in pain, you usually know what's hurting you. But when people are stressed out, they usually treat the symptoms (headaches, tight muscles, anxiety), assuming there's nothing they can do about the source of stress.And, of course, the source of some stress can't be mitigated. Instead of treating only the symptoms, try starting at the source. It's easier than you think.

For instance, many people experience significant stress associated with their jobs - be it difficult bosses, snarky co-workers or the potential for job loss. But when you come home after work feeling so wound up that you can't think straight, try writing down exactly what it is at work that stresses you out. You may feel that your boss isn't happy with your job performance. In that situation, what can you control? If you're concerned about your boss, go directly to him or her. Ask if there's any additional work you can take on or anything they see that you can do to improve your job performance. It makes you look responsible and concerned, and it may make your boss reevaluate the way he or she views you as an employee.

Fortunately, we're not helpless victims of our problems. Take control of the issues your body and mind are making you aware of through stress. You'll feel more in control and experience less stress, regardless of the outcome.