Thousands of years ago, ‘pressure at work’ meant fleeing from invading marauders or battling woolly mammoths. Stress prepared cave men and women for ‘fight or flight’ situations, and helped them survive such trials; Neil Shah from the Stress Management Society offers his advice on how to manage an age old problem.
So stress isn’t a new problem. However, today it is office politics, traffic jams, overwork and late nights that cause our levels to rise. Whereas cave dwellers burnt off the stress through that eventual fight or flight, we don’t reach that final stage. As a result, we are increasingly all wound up with nowhere to go!
Look after your body
When stressed, we reach for quick fixes – stimulants like coffee, or foods high in fat or sugar. But this diet compounds the problem. Chocolate gives an initial sugar and caffeine buzz, but leaves you weary. Salty crisps dehydrate the body and brain and bring on fatigue.