Stress Busting Plan: Stress Fighters

Planning your life
The most important way to detox stress at work is to manage your time and your duties. When you get to your desk, spend 10 minutes deciding what needs doing, and in what order. It's believed that you get a fifth more work done each day if you do this, and you do the work better. When researchers looked at students in Seneca College in Toronto, Canada, they found that students who planned their work were much more likely to have A and B grades than those who didn't plan things. It's also vital to say no to things you don't have time to do: nothing creates stress more than overloading yourself, and learning to say no is a vital aid to beating its effects. This may sound simple, but if you just do these two things you'll dramatically lower your stress load.

Cutting down on caffeine
Caffeine stimulates the adrenal glands to produce stress hormones, and research at the USA's Duke University showed that four to five cups of coffee a day boosted levels of stress hormones by up to a third. Stick to one to two cups a day, or get your lift from ginger or peppermint teas, which boost energy and mental clarity without creating stress reactions.

Practising yoga
When doctors at the USA's Roosevelt Hospital measured people's stress scores after 25 minutes of yoga, they found that tension levels had dramatically decreased. Other studies have shown that yoga can decrease blood pressure in a matter of minutes. This all combines to make yoga an important part of stress management. There are many yoga postures that help to relieve stress, but, when it comes to an all-round stress-busting package, the 'Salute to the Sun' (see opposite) can't be beaten.

It's an instant energizer - so much so that it should only be done in the morning. It releases tensions in the muscles, stimulates the circulation and lymphatic system and, by allowing you to focus on your body and take time out, it helps reduce the mental toll of stress. Finally, through using upward and downward movements, it aims to strengthen and balance the adrenal glands. The postures are described step by step, but you should aim to perform them as one long fluid series of moves.

Eating carbohydrates for lunch
According to Dr Judith Wurtman, one of the world's leading authorities on food and mood, and her team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, the ultimate calming lunch is one based on carbohydrate foods, which boost levels of the hormone serotonin in the brain. However, it doesn't take a whole plate of pasta for this to happen; eating too many carbohydrates in one go can actually make you sleepy and lethargic. Instead, the best carbohydrate dose is 40-50g (11/2-2oz) of a starchy carbohydrate like bread, pasta, rice or potato. Serve this with a big side salad or some steamed vegetables to fill you up. Sadly, you can't add protein, since this dulls the calming effect. If you get hungry later in the afternoon, you can snack on a few handfuls of low-fat popcorn or some rice cakes with some fruit - these will take the edge off your hunger but will also refuel your bank of calming chemicals.

Exercise
If you want to reduce your stress symptoms by a third, work out when you're under pressure. Clinical trials have found that exercise reduces stress by burning off the excess adrenaline produced by the adrenal glands. It takes just 10 minutes of activity to start this process and boost mood - even walking can have the desired effect.

Using a scented stress detoxer
Beating stress is one of the major uses for aromatherapy and it works in a number of different ways. The oils calm us psychologically, reduce tension in the muscles and can strengthen the adrenal glands. A great stress-beating blend is two drops of lavender, two drops of mandarin and one drop of jasmine oil. Either add these to 10ml (Vsfloz) of carrier oil and ask someone to apply them via the back massage, or use it yourself as part of the neck and shoulder massage.

Alternatively, put the blend in the bath, sit back and relax for 15 minutes. Don't, however, use the blend if you are pregnant - instead you should use mandarin oil, which is safe for pregnant women.

Supplementing your adrenal glands
There are many herbs that can help do this, but one of the most commonly used by herbalists is ginseng. Ginseng is an adaptogenic herb: this means it helps the body balance itself in times of physical and mental stress. As yet, no one knows exactly why, but research seems to indicate that it acts on the hypothalamus, controlling its messages to the adrenal glands and reducing the amount of stress hormones produced.

The recommended dose of ginseng is 500-1OOO mg a day, and it's best taken before food. Also, don't take ginseng for more than three weeks without a break as it loses its effectiveness if taken for extended periods of time.

10 Planning for a good night's sleep
If you are tired, your ability to handle stress is compromised. When you're stressed, however, it can be hard to switch off to sleep, which is why you should start preparing for sleep about two hours before you go to bed, with your evening meal. A number of foods have calming and sedating properties, and so by including these in your evening meal you can wind your body down from the day.

The best foods to choose include: Lettuce. This contains lactucarium, which is a natural sedative. Red onions. The antioxidant quercetin they contain is calming. Milk or dairy products. They contain natural opiates called casomorphins. Starchy carbohydrates. Brown rice, pasta or potatoes, which create serotonin. A little protein. This contains an ingredient called tryptophan, which is also used to create serotonin.