Are you irritable at everything? Have you experienced aches, pains, or palpitations for no obvious reason? Do you suffer from headaches or insomnia? If so, then you may be experiencing the physical effects of stress.

Half a million people in the UK say the stress of their jobs is making them ill, according to research by the Health and Safety Executive, the government body. Many people use the term “stress” to describe overwork in the same way the term “flu” is used to describe a cold. Real stress is associated with physical symptoms such as increased blood pressure and headaches and can lead to long-term problems such as narrowed arteries. Last week a seven-year study by a Cambridge University team found that people who managed their stress levels well were 24% less likely to have a stroke.

Stress-busting strategies are threefold, and must include psychological, behavioural and physiological treatments, says Professor Stephen Palmer of City University, who is also director of the Centre for Stress Management.

Stressed people typically perceive events to be far worse than they are. The first step towards coping is learning to recognise the things that make you feel stressed, and spotting the symptoms that accompany moments of stress. Then you can start trying to break the pattern.

Mental imagery is a useful tool and involves running through your own stress flashpoints and imagining you are coping with them. Next, you need to take control of your behaviour in order to reduce anxiety. Regular exercise is good for this, as are assertiveness and time-management training (procrastination over tasks can often bring on stress). If your breathing is fast and shallow, instead make it deep and slow, try closing your eyes and saying a number every time you breathe out.

Finally, look after your body. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables to boost your immune system and drink lots of water.

If you find yourself feeling depressed, or drinking alcohol and smoking excessively to cope, visit your GP, who can refer you for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). This is the treatment of choice for stress patients and teaches sufferers to perceive events more positively.

TAKING IT FURTHER

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Get help with this online tutorial for managing your work schedule

www.babcp.com

At the British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies website you can search by postcode for a private CBT therapist

tinyurl.com/2grl3y

This page on the Channel 4 website offers an excellent and comprehensive overview of stress-related problems and suggests various treatment options

Kit bag: essential gear for dealing with stress

Omron 705IT Blood pressure monitor £170 www.omron-healthcare.com

Blood pressure monitors can be a good way of monitoring your stress levels, as long as you don’t get too obsessive. This Omron fits around your upper arm to measure the pressure accurately.

The Feeling Good Handbook by David Burns £15 www.amazon.co.uk

If you want a DIY guide to cognitive behaviour therapy, this is a good self primer, according to Jack Dykes, a psychotherapist with the Priory group.

Written by an American psychiatrist who has won awards for his work on brain chemistry, it offers a friendly, practical and drug-free approach to ways of dealing with anxiety.

Stress mood cards From 23p each www.stressmoodcards.com

When you’re stressed your fingers become cooler (blood is diverted to other muscles). With this 10-second test a stress square on the card changes colour when you press it, and a colour key on the reverse interprets the reading: tense is 82F, relaxed is 92F.

It’s unbreakable and reusable.

Aroma Dough £4.89 www.feelkarma.com

A fragrant and calming variation on playdough for adults, this squishy stress squeezer gently releases essential oils. It contains lavender – which has for long been associated with relaxation and the reduction of anxiety – as well as geranium and basil.

The effects of stress

Clogged arteries During a stressful moment, the body draws on its energy reserves and releases cholesterol. As a result, prolonged stress can lead to clogged arteries

Stress related illness Stress affects all parts of the body and can cause increased blood pressure, localised swelling and allergic responses

Stress levels There are degrees of stress. Too little and you don’t react at all to events when you should. There is an optimum level where you perfom best and an acute phase which results in distress

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