Understanding what stress really is

There are things in life that will always be out of your control—an unexpected email, a partner’s bad mood, a difficult conversation. But how long those things impact you? That’s shaped by your internal response.

Gail introduced the 90-second rule: when something stressful happens, your body floods with cortisol and adrenaline. But physically, those hormones dissipate after 90 seconds. What makes the stress linger is the story you attach to it.

The overthinking. The guilt. The spiral of "what ifs". That’s what turns stress into chronic stress symptoms.

What is stress and why is it something that can wreak havoc on your health and happiness? In a world that is so busy for most of us, it’s easy to miss the signs of stress, and to shrug off the impact it can have on you. It’s important to check-in with yourself on how stress might be showing up for you and how to start taking steps to manage it in the best way possible and avoid burnout.

The Christmas season is pitched as the most wonderful time of the year when everything and everyone is merry and nice. But is it really like this? Christmastime often brings with it a huge amount of expectation and pressure. For many, this picture-perfect ideal isn’t their reality, causing stress and pressure to mount. Can you avoid the common burnout this time of year throws so many people by having your own perfect festive time?