With the economy as it is most people at work are under a lot of stress. There is the threat of retrenchments and the fact that many firms are seeing a slump in sales and income, which only increases the stress levels all around.

What is important to understand, is that stress is a completely natural reaction and part of the human experience. It doesn’t necessarily have to have a negative effect on us. By choosing how to react to stress, we can – to a degree – control how it influences us. Interestingly, we can even wield it to our advantage, if we go about the situation mindfully.

Barely surviving each day? Feeling stressed and out of control? You are not alone - many people struggle to balance their various roles and responsibilities.

There are many "have tos" in our busy lives: we have to work, attend meetings, answer e-mails, write reports, fetch the kids, cook dinner, do shopping, and pay bills. The list is endless and somewhere in between we are supposed to find time for ourselves, for improving our skills and pursuing our goals.