Frankie says chillax

I used to worry and stress. A lot. I was overly fraught with such anxiety that I had digestive problems, skin breakouts and troubled sleep. I kept myself so freakishly busy, a poor attempt at distracting myself from the realities of my job. But the anxiety never went away, I hadn't learnt to deal with it, so I covered it up. The crazy thing is that I loved my job. Loved! I worked with talented, beautiful people and day to day I had a wonderful job. It just wasn't right.

Then I was retrenched. That night I couldn't sleep very well... I was too excited. The weight had been lifted, the gates had been opened, the payout was coming and I was on my own. I finally had a chance to do what I've always wanted - be a freelance writer from home - and I took it by the horns. It's been six months since that day and I haven't stressed for a second. Some weeks I work a helluva lot more than I used to, but there's no angst, just more tea and late nights doing what I love on the laptop.

So if you're stressed because of your job - love it or hate it - here's a few suggestions.

* Get a new job. It might take a few months, but if you truly hate your job, or the industry you're in, move on! Write down everything you're good at in one column, in another write everything you love in life. In the middle is a job that suits you perfectly. Tell friends you're looking for a new job, word of mouth is a powerful thing.

* Start a new exercise routine. If you're doing nothing, start today with something small. I promise it'll help. Walk a lot, even in the rain, go for a swim on the weekend or join a yoga class. If you already have a routine, mix it up a bit. Focus only on exercises that stretch you physically but calm you mentally, maybe join a team to meet new peeps.

* Stop smoking and give coffee and alcohol a break. You may think the cigarette soothes your nerves, the coffee gets you in the zone or the alcohol helps you cope, but the complete opposite is true. Smoking messes up your body, making it more sensitive to stress and emotions, alcohol doesn't solve anything and coffee winds anxiety up to new levels. Trust me amigos, I've been there.

* Find a hobby. No I don't mean knitting or stamp collecting, hobbies can include fashion design, stationery printing, photography, writing, illustrating, salami making, gardening or volunteering. Having something to delve into that you absolutely adore makes life worth living some days. And it might even lead to a new, fabulous career.