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1. Learn to play, to be more spontaneous. Give yourself permission to relax, both physically and psychologically. You can do this by simply deciding to, making it a goal and then pursuing the completion of that goal with your normal level of tenacity. Make a list of ten or more relaxing, non-work activities that you would enjoy and choose one to pursue each weekend.
2. Don’t be so hard on yourself and others. The world won’t fall apart if you don’t complete every project in record time. Stress related illnesses could cause you to lose far more time than taking pleasurable breaks and letting it be OK when others do the same.
3. Relax your attitude and practice being more flexible. Listen to others sometimes and let yourself follow reasonable requests... especially requests to lighten up and enjoy the moment.
4. Try relaxation exercises like meditation, yoga, leisurely strolls, etc. Take a break from your active and demanding mind by visualizing yourself lounging on a beach or sailing quietly across still, blue waters. Use whatever mental scenery you find pleasant and relaxing. Discourage any worries that may try to creep in during these relaxation sessions. Calming your overly busy mind will help you work more efficiently in the long run.
5. Consciously practice not worrying about things. Make what you believe are sound decisions, then ignore any doubts as to whether the decision is the best one. Acting on decisions can accomplish far more, even if they aren’t the best ones, than waiting for a perfect choice. List your options, prioritize them, then take action.
6. Learn to be content with good enough, rather than perfect. Perfectionism can slow you to a crawl and even stop you dead in your tracks. If others often complain about how much time you spend on a project, you are probably guilty of perfectionism to some extent. Lighten up! Do only what is necessary to complete the job well. Practice noticing how pleased other people are with your prompt result instead of focusing on perfecting the project.
7. Allow other people to be who they are. Not everyone is as focused and exacting as you are, nor do they want to be. The world and its people cannot be placed into some mechanistic, consistently functioning order, and to try to accomplish that will only make you and the people around you miserable. Miserable people are not conducive to good relationships.
8. Notice how often you use statements like “I must”, “you should”, “why don’t you”, etc. Practice replacing these with “I prefer”, "I would enjoy”, etc. Eliminating some of your “shoulds” and “ought tos” will enable you to ease up on yourself and others. To state a preference as opposed to a “must” will help you to become more aware of what you feel (as opposed to what you think you should feel or do). This will decrease your stress levels and keep you happier and more effective.
9. Be aware that the people around you may not know that you care about them. They may believe that accomplishing tasks is more important to you than they are. Learn to tell people that you care about them. Notice what they do, wear, say, and accomplish, and compliment them when appropriate. Stop what you are doing occasionally and give your undivided attention to someone you love. This may seem unnatural at first, but you’ll get better at it with practice and those around you will appreciate your efforts.

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