University department chairs need to manage stress to their advantage. Myths pertaining to stress include: (1) stress is harmful; (2) stress should be avoided; (3) stress correlates with level of responsibility; (4) stress is predominantly a male phenomenon; and (5) there is one appropriate coping method. The Chair Stress Cycle provides a broad perspective on stress and introduces a framework for action. Identifying Stress Traps, Stage I, is the key to managing stress. It discloses five sources of stress: administrative tasks; the tension in serving in an additional faculty role; role ambiguity; hierarchical authority; and perceived high expectations. Stage II, The Perception of Stress, reveals that managing perceptions provides the greatest opportunity for effective stress management. Chairs should plan personal time each day, compartmentalize chair and non-chair activities, perform one task at a time, strive to enrich themselves, have a private retreat, and live by the calendar and not the clock. Stage III, Coping, entails specific stress management strategies. From Illness to Wellness--Consequences, Stage IV, suggests that the effective implementation of the three stages will provide the chair with optimal stress levels, allowing for personal health while managing unavoidable levels of stress in such a way as to optimize job performance. (Contains 15 references.) (TEJ)