Six handy stress busters

It’s a cliché, but laughter really is the best medicine. It disrupts negative thoughts, boosts the immune system, relaxes the muscles and stimulates the release of feel-good brain chemicals called endorphins. Laughter clubs have become popular in some areas.

Aerobic activity helps metabolise the stress hormones created when we’re angry or tense. If you can exercise out of doors, fresh air and sunshine can also improve your mood.

When we’re tense, we don’t breathe deeply, and the shallow breaths we take contribute to our feeling of anxiety.Try taking one breath every 6 seconds or 10 breaths a minute. Do this twice a day, 10 minutes per session, and it will become a healthy habit.

If you find crowds difficult to cope with, for example, rearrange your timetable to avoid travelling during rush hour.

Often the very things you take to reduce stress may be having the opposite effect. Sleeping pills, for example, can produce a next-day ‘hangover’ effect, and some high blood pressure medicines and cough syrups can have unexpected side effects such as poor sleep.

Cigarettes contain nicotine, and coffee and chocolate contain caffeine.These stimulants provide a temporary lift, but can produce jittery feelings as a side effect.