STRESS LESS
It ages us, increases our chances of serious illness and can wreak havoc with our working life and relationships. But you don’t have to succumb to its ill-effects. As we mark Stress Awareness Month this April, Heidi Scrimgeour discovers how to achieve a life less stressful
IMAGES: GETTY IMAGES; SHUTTERSTOCK. *WARNING: ALWAYS CONTACT A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL TO DISCUSS SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OPTIONS
The discovery that I was suffering from stress – news delivered by a doctor after a medical emergency – was a wake-up call that changed my relationship with myself for good. One moment, I was sitting at my desk, quietly absorbed in writing an article The next, a vice-like grip was squeezing my chest with terrifying intensity. But before I could reach my phone to dial 999, the sensation stopped – just as abruptly as it had begun.