Stress is a normal and healthy response to threats and danger. Our body has a survival system that kickstarts the release of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. These allow us to be fully alert and deal with whatever threat or danger we’re facing.

Stress is caused by pressure. When your nervous system perceives everyday pressures – professional, social, or otherwise – as stressful, this can lead you to operate in constant survival mode. If the stress becomes chronic it takes a toll on your physical and mental health. It begins making you sick instead of helping you stay alive.

Have you noticed your overall wellbeing decreasing significantly? Do you feel drained and emotionally exhausted? Have your outlook on life and feelings about the future become negative? Do you feel unproductive and even dread what you used to enjoy? These are all signs you’re suffering from severe stress. If it becomes too much to handle and you can’t cope anymore, it’s called ‘burnout’.