There's a chasm of difference between stress and anxiety.
You hear of people who 'work well under pressure.
' I think a lot of us are like that, provided that the stress isn't too great.
It follows, then, that stress in small amounts is good for you.
It keeps you on your toes, revs the old brain box and generally stimulates interest in what you're doing, a keenness, if you will, to see the job through.
Now this sort of stress is fine, provided the stress leaves you when you're finished doing your task.
It's when stress persists that it can become dangerous.
Going into work in the mornings with butterflies leaping about in your stomach, day after day, is something to be avoided at all costs.
Even so, if the butterflies are caused by the excitement of your work, then there's no harm in that.
It's if accompanied by a continual state of nervousness that trouble may start.
It can start by way of anxiety, which is most undesirable.
The point with stress is that there's always a stressor.
Anxiety doesn't need one.
It just sort of moves in and takes over.
Well, that's being flippant and not necessarily accurate.
After all, stress can lead to anxiety and this is why it's so important to control stress if it seems to be controlling your life.
Whereas we've seen that stress is, or should be, a period of tension over a short duration for an explicit reason, anxiety is a feeling of fear, worry or apprehension that accompanies you throughout your waking hours.
It never leaves you.
It's a bit like a sea tide.
It can come upon you strongly, so that your life is made thoroughly miserable, and then it recedes for a short while.
But it's always there.
This is why it's so important to seek help if the stressful feelings you thought perfectly normal just won't leave you.
Obviously, what's stress for one person, simply doesn't bother another.
Even this isn't as straightforward as it seems.
One person may be very inclined to anxiety and other forms of mental illness, while another is never bothered by such conditions.
One of the reasons for stress which can so easily lead to anxiety, is the incredible speed at which society moves today.
You don't enjoy the 'down' time that you did twenty years ago.
Then, you could return home after work and be fairly certain that you wouldn't be bothered by any more business calls until the following day.
All this depending on the business in which you were engaged, it's true.
But now, what with I-pods, blackberries and goodness knows what other devices, someone may easily call you and before you know where you are, you're giving some presentation, or discussing the following day's business well into the small hours of the following day.
There's simply no escape.
It's as though you spend at least eighteen hours a day working.
Time for four hour's sleep, something to eat, quick shower and shave and you're back at it.
Good grief, this is no way to live.
A young person may be able to physically and mentally support this sort of lifestyle for a few years, but that's it.
Something has to give.
Helpful, drug-free mood levellers are Valerian, Passion flower extract and L-theamine, all of which stimulate serotonin.
The first thing to do is call a halt to work after normal hours.
You must give yourself a chance to exercise reasonably, make quite sure you have enough sleep, eat a well balanced, healthy diet, limit your caffeine and alcohol intake and learn and practice relaxation techniques; tai-chi and progressive muscle relaxation.
All these are helpers, but the main thing is to properly balance your work and relaxation times.
If not, a breakdown is inevitable at some stage.