racing heart, hot flushes, shaking, chest pains, breathlessness, dizziness, pins and needles, and a sensation of feeling ‘unreal’ in the company of others. Some of these symptoms are completely harmless and are actually part of our genetic instinct for self-preservation.

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Generally, we as a society have learned to deal with the symptoms of stress, by breathing exercises or subconsciously manoeuring ourselves into situations or environments where we feel protected from what causes us to be anxious in the first place. However, more and more people who have work-related anxiety are taking more time off sick which can often lead to a long term absence. This has a ripple effect on career prospects.

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Social situations can also cause anxiety. For example, speaking in public, an important meeting with a client, a party or a function where we feel we are on show and are expected to ‘perform’. We avoid these situations by cancelling or making excuses in an effort to avoid feeling out of control or trapped.

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Personal finances are another very common trigger for anxiety. When we’re experiencing financial hardship – whether it’s of our own making or not – those feelings of helplessness morph into a fear of facing up to the issues. In a vain attempt to alleviate the symptoms – or to avoid having to think about them – we avoid looking at our bank balance or opening bank statements and invent stories to tell ourselves about a new job or a pay rise or a sale on eBay that will make everything all right again.