(ARA) – With everyone trying to do more with less these days, it is easy to become over-stressed and fall into a rut of performing the same monotonous tasks over and over. By introducing creativity, variety and excitement to your day, you can help avoid succumbing to everyday stress. For example, stress levels can be elevated when it comes to mealtime, as the thought of creating different meals night after night can be daunting. Author and time management expert Ruth Klein is particularly aware of the impact this kind of stress has on people’s daily lives.

“To help combat everyday stress, one simple step you can take to reduce some pressure is to plan meals ahead of time to help give your mind a break from the other worries caused by hectic schedules,” says Klein, author of "The De-Stress Diva in the Kitchen" and "The De-Stress Diva’s Guide to Life.” “After all, spending time in the kitchen to create personalized meals is an easy way to treat yourself to much needed de-stress time, while also rewarding yourself with a delicious dish.”

Klein offers three quick tips to help recharge, refocus and reorganize your life:

Recharge Regularly
Make sure you eat at timely intervals throughout the day, as food is energy for you emotionally, mentally and physically. As consumers continue to eat out less, they have become increasingly more interested in what they are eating at home or at the office and are discovering new ways to bring creativity to their meal options.

“Try revisiting popular staple dishes, such as salads and potatoes, as they provide the perfect blank slate for exploring all the customizable ways you can create extraordinary meals,” says Klein. “Adding flavorful, chef-inspired ingredient combinations, like Sargento Salad and Potato Finishers, to salads and potatoes is a tasty way to infuse your own personal preferences to your meal.”

Leave Work Worries at the Office
A study by the nonprofit Families and Work Institute reported that one in three U.S. employees is chronically overworked and that more than half feel overwhelmed at least once a month. Taking a few key time-management steps can help you get more done in the day, which will help you avoid thinking about work in the evening and allow more time for a family meal.

“Work with your internal clock. If you are a morning person, do your top priorities at that time; if you are an afternoon person, plan to do your top priorities then,” says Klein.

Plan Ahead
“Even though women are pressed for time more now than ever before, it is important that they find a balance between juggling busy work schedules, attending kids' sporting events and trying to plan a great tasting family meal,” says Klein. “I recommend prioritizing projects at the beginning of each week, as well as making a meal plan of what to eat and when.”

However, as the common adage says, there come times when "there aren’t enough hours in the day" and a strategic approach to the week may fall short. In times like these, keeping some flavorful go-to meal combinations, such as new Sargento Blue Cheese Salad Finishers paired with fresh produce, easily accessible can help avoid the stress of preparing something good to eat at the end of a long day.

By using the above tricks to de-stress from the day, you will find that the quality of your days and of your life will increase.

Find more tips from Ruth Klein at www.sargento.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent