Are you overbooked?

About.com has a great article on controlling your calendar to help manage your stress.

This may sound patently obvious, but one of the biggest stress management mistakes is lack of use - or misuse - of a calendar or day planner. Writing down each demand on your time is essential when you want to limit stress brought on by overshadowing, forgotten appointments, disappointed friends and family members, and irritated coworkers.

A few simple rules can help you efficiently use any kind of calendar to minimize stress:

• Decide on one system to use for both personal and professional obligations. It really doesn´t matter if it´s a paper calendar or the latest PDA. Using multiple or different systems invites chaos.
• Take an hour to enter all birthdays, anniversaries, and important dates for the year.
  When gifts or cards are required, make a notation a week to ten days prior to the event.
  If you want to distinguish between job and home obligations, try using different colors of ink or text.
• Pick a system that is portable. Decide if you´re really going to carry that thick leather binder everywhere. Remember a calendar that doesn´t travel with you isn´t going to be used efficiently.
• Get into the habit of checking your calendar every time you make an appointment or even schedule a night out with friends. This should become second nature. When tempted to overschedule yourself, look at the preceding and following days´events as well to determine if you´ll have the energy for the task or event.