There are other people with whom you need to interact on a regular basis. These include barbers and hair stylists, mechanics, letter carriers, delivery people, and so on. Sometimes you will have a choice about which service provider you would like. Other times, as in the case of a letter carrier or delivery person, you will not.

Although the consequences of choosing the wrong barber are not as serious as those of choosing the wrong doctor, you will still want to take care to choose providers who are sympathetic to your needs (unless, of course, you can work through your anxieties, which would be ideal).

If your anxieties or behaviors require explanation, you might want to think about what, how, and how much, you would like to share.

Learning to manage stress, whether everyday tension or true crises, is essential to good health for everyone. There are many ways to do this. You've read about visualization, meditation, eating well, and volunteering. Here are some other techniques to help you lower the overall stress in your life:

• Develop a support network of people you trust and value: friends, your family, and others who may be important to you.

• Take time out for yourself each day, whether to read a book, share a conversation with a friend, work in your garden, or just sit quietly with a cup of tea and watch the world go by outside your window.

• Get at least a moderate amount of exercise at least four days a week, for a minimum of thirty minutes, to help boost well-being and keep you mentally and physically sound.

• Spend less time in the company of “panicky” people to avoid unnecessary stress.

• Limit the amount of time you spend watching, listening to, or reading news reports, which tend to focus on terrible events that affect relatively small numbers of persons.

If you are religious or spiritual, prayer may help to relieve anxiety and confer a sense of calm (but beware scrupulosity). If you enjoy spending time with animals, you might consider getting a pet or volunteering at your local animal shelter.