Stress: Believed to be at the root of 95 percent of all illness, it truly is our modern-day scourge. So, if you make a plan to address your stress, you have vastly boosted your odds of remaining well. Here’s some help to immediately save your day:

Count to 10. When something’s bugging you, stop, count to 10, and breathe deeply a few times. Once you’re calm, you’ll be able to much more effectively — and with less stress — deal with what’s happening. Even better, those 10 seconds will take the edge off your stress immediately.

Go to your happy place … in your mind. Envision yourself in a place that evokes instant calm — somewhere beautiful and peaceful. Relax for a few minutes and enjoy. Feel yourself become more centered, grounded and at ease.

Go ahead … STRESS!! Sometimes stress is much worse because we constantly carry it around. Lug around a 5-pound bag of flour all day. Feel worn out? That’s minor compared to carrying a load of stress. So take a few minutes to write down what’s bugging you. Fast and furious. No rules. You don’t need to read this later; you just need to get it out of you. Or vent quickly with a friend. Key word here being QUICKLY. If you’re both going to go on and on about the drama and the injustice and the whatever, this does not help.

Really … is this worth it? So many of the things we allow to stress us out — bad drivers, traffic, a rude clerk, the weather and so on — really aren’t worth damaging your health. Very simply and honestly, it’s your choice. If you let go of these type of stressors, you jump far ahead on the path to keeping well. When something happens that makes you angry, frustrated or impatient, stop and ask yourself: Is this worth being stressed out and making myself ill? No? Then set it aside, fast, and make a different decision that’s ready for the next time you encounter that stressor.

Cry … laugh … sing. Seriously, any of these for a few minutes will knock down your stress level. Allow yourself a good cry if that fits. Or find something that makes you laugh, and lose yourself in it. Or put on some high energy, upbeat music and sing your heart out for a song or two.

Your stress — busted!