More sick days or lost for stress than anything else.
This isn't good news for employers, but it also means that there are a lot of people feeling unable to cope with their daily living.

So why do I feel stressed and what can I do about it?

Well, there's no doubt that we live in a society that bombards us with information. We have almost constant mental stimulation - from television, radio, billboards, telephones, computers etc. And this gives us our first clue to reducing stress.Try to create some downtime. Interestingly, research into the Ultradian Rhythm tells us that we don't need to have hours of time alone.

What is the Ultradian Rhythm?

The  Ultradian Rhythm is a natural human cycle which occurs throughout the day. Once we wake in the morning we have between 90 and 120 minutes where we can concentrate and work with sustained energy .We then need a break - not long, 15-20 minutes will do.

During this 20 minute period of ‘downtime' you are more likely to feel sleepy or unfocused. You will notice your concentration has declined. You might grab a coffee to try to push through this sleepy time, but long term this doesn't work – it merely increases your stress levels.

We now know that respecting this natural rhythm and working with it will have a powerful effect on our levels of physical and mental health – and also on our productivity. Therefore one of the major ways to reduce stress is to follow your body's natural Ultradian rhythm.

How to utilise the Ultradian Rhythm.

The important thing about this break is that you don't talk or think about the task you were engaged on – do something completely different. This could be something physical such as a game of squash or a jog around the park. It could be a short escape into fiction by reading a novel for 20 mins. You could take a lunch break with friends, provided, of course, that you don't discuss work.

In fact, any change will do the trick, so long as we really take a complete break. This will have you returning to your work, revitalised and calm, ready to take on the next piece of work with a refreshed mind and lowered blood pressure.

Remember that this rhythm recurs throughout the day beginning from when you first wake up. You will perform any task more effectively if you take a twenty minute break every ninety minutes or so.

Using hypnotic relaxation to benefit from the Ultradian Rhythm.

One approach might be a short period of meditation or hypnosis relaxation. I produce a twenty minute relaxation CD for this purpose, available from my website (see my biog.) Hypnosis is powerful, effective and enjoyable.

You  can also use self-hypnosis (see below).

Self-hypnosis for Relaxation

Firstly move yourself away from your work area and find somewhere comfortable to sit.

Begin by thinking your way down your body, imagining and feeling the tension leaving each area in turn. If it helps, picture how your body would look to someone watching you as you become increasingly relaxed.

Now in your mind create a detailed image of a place where you feel completely safe. It might be an actual place, e.g. your bed or a garden you know. It can be imaginary – a deserted sandy beach on a summer's day, the inside of a hollow tree, a sailing ship in the middle of an ocean, the top of a mountain. It doesn't matter where you choose, but it is important to create the image in enormous detail. Think about what you can see. Notice the surrounding temperature, the texture and feel of your surroundings. What can you smell and hear? Are there any people, any other living creatures?

Once you have created this image in great detail, tell yourself that you will stay here for 15 minutes. Your mind will monitor the time and you will start to feel restless when the time is up. Once you notice this, imagine yourself coming back to full awareness and bouncing to your feet, feeling so good and full of energy.