Making room for more joy and less stress should be a task on any spring cleaning list.

Who cares about spotless closets when you have a pounding migraine?

But unlike dirt and dust, you can’t rid yourself of all stress.

Nor would you really want to. It’s about keeping it in check.

Carolyn L. Lee, chief psychologist at Indiana University Health Center Counseling and Psychological Services, points out that stress is woven into our lives and to some degree it has a positive influence “in terms of learning and growing in new ways.”

It’s when that stress becomes too much that problems, mental and physical, can appear.

“When we experience too much stress, or have poor coping strategies for the stress that we face, we often feel jittery, preoccupied and worried about the stressful events in our lives,” Lee told INstride in an e-mail. “Sometimes we are worried enough that we sleep poorly, which then decreases our ability to cope with stress. Some people experience physiological symptoms such as tight muscles, rapid heart beat, shallow breathing, and tingling sensations in the extremities. Some people might show elevated blood pressure.”

To better manage your stress, it helps to know the signs—and solutions.

Stress indicators

• General irritability

• Elevated heart rate

• Increased blood pressure

• Increased accident proneness

• Floating anxiety­—anxious feeling for no specific reason

• Trembling

• Insomnia

• Headaches

• Indigestion

• Pain in neck and/or lower back

• Changes in appetite or sleep pattern

Stress Management Strategies

• Structure each day to include a minimum of 20 minutes of aerobic exercise.

• Eat well-balanced meals, more whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables. Substitute fruits for desserts.

• Avoid caffeine. The substance may aggravate anxiety, insomnia, nervousness and trembling.

• Reduce refined sugars. Excess sugars cause frequent fluctuation in blood glucose levels, adding stress to the body’s physiological functioning.

• Reduce alcohol and drugs. These substances may add to headaches and swelling, decrease coping mechanisms and add to depression.

• Get at least seven hours of sleep nightly.

• Spend time each day with at least one relaxation technique — imagery, daydreaming, prayer, yoga or meditation, for example.

• Take a warm bath or shower.

• Go for a walk.

• Get in touch: Hug someone, hold hands, or stroke a pet. Physical contact is a great way to relieve stress.

Source: Indiana University Health Center’s Counseling and Psychological Services