An executive's guide to beating stress

Stress that comes from the pressures of juggling a career, family responsibilities and a social life can take its toll on the best of us.

Now even the Prime Minister has enlisted the services of a personal trainer to help diffuse the stress in his daily life. It is believed the Prime Minister has three sessions a week with a fitness expert who puts him through his paces in a Downing Street gym.

A growing number of highly successful people are falling victim to their own demanding work schedules. According to researchers at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) who conducted a Quality of Life/Work survey, nearly 90 per cent of managers claim the demands of work are destroying family relationships. Furthermore, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) estimates that 60 per cent of work absence is stress-related and that one in 13 employees admits to seeing their GP because they can't cope with the stress in their lives.

We asked some of Britain's top lifestyle gurus what they'd recommend the Prime Minister do to combat stress - and if it's good enough for him, then it should work for London's put-upon executives.

Meditate A few minutes devoted to yourself twice a day will make a difference, physically and mentally, says Gloria Thomas, a mind/body coach and hypnotherapist who works on the stressmanagement programme at the Third Space gym in Soho. "When you wake up and before you go to bed, turn your focus inwards. Mentally concentrate on each muscle group. Focus on what you want to get out of the day and visualise it happening. Self-hypnosis in this way has a measurable stressreducing effect on the body if you do it regularly."

Reduce cellular damage "The key to combating the effects of stress is to remove the things that add to the body's environmental pressures," says personal trainer to the stars Matt Roberts. "Because of high levels of pollutants and poor diets, our bodies absorb a lot of acid that can cause cellular damage and degeneration, ultimately leading to ill health.

"Cut down on tea, coffee and alcohol, but also boost levels of oxygen in your system by taking light aerobic exercise, such as a walk or swim, every day."

Hit something Personal trainer Cornel Chin, who helps keep Leonardo DiCaprio and Colin Firth in shape, says that workouts involving a punchbag or boxing mitt are the most popular among his clients. "Workouts such as Tae-Bo aren't as effective because you are punching and kicking into thin air," says Chin. "With kick-boxing you are forced to focus your aggression on a target, which makes all the difference." He suggests 10 to 15 minutes a day of serious kicking and punching to release sufficient endorphins to negate the pent-up tensions of the office.

Avoid the gym Yoga guru Howard Napper, who helps celebrities contort themselves into shape at Triyoga in Primrose Hill, says Tony Blair and other stressed executives should steer clear of "going for the burn". "Tough aerobic workouts or gym sessions are important for overall fitness but can be counter-productive if you are overly stressed," says Napper.

"Someone like Tony Blair probably finds that tension builds in his shoulders and hip flexors because he is at a desk a lot of the time. If ignored, this could lead to the spine becoming misaligned through poor posture. Weight training or crunches would simply load more tension. A 20-minute daily routine-of yoga postures and breathing exercises would be more beneficial."

Stop grinding The British Dental Association (BDA) says that, thanks to a subconscious habit of teeth grinding, up to 20 per cent of high-flying executives now need major repair work on their teeth, having worn away the natural enamel coating. "We tell people to look at areas of their lives that are giving them stress," says Jacinta Yeo, BDA spokeswomen. "If the problem persists, ask your dentist for a plastic mouthguard that prevents tooth-to-tooth contact at night."

Take care of your gut Digestive problems are one of the main symptoms of chronic stress. A poor diet combined with too much tension upsets the delicate balance of the intestinal flora in the gut, which work to keep diseasecausing pathogens at bay.

According to Professor Glen Gibson, head of the food microbial sciences unit at the University of Reading, digestive stress affects around one-fifth of the population. One way to reduce it, he says, is to take a probiotic supplement which will help to restore internal balance. "These supplements work by preparing the stomach for the nasties we encounter every day. Beneficial bacteria, like bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, can inhibit or kill the pathogens that produce toxins and cause digestive trouble or food poisoning."

Don't bring work home "Pressures of work build up throughout the day and it is so easy for this to spill over into family life and disturb the equilibrium," says Professor Cary Cooper, a behavioural psychologist at Manchester University who specialises in stress. "Try to do some exercise or a hobby after leaving the office, even if it is just a walk, which will diffuse tension and pressure."

Keep things in perspective "When you feel under pressure, learn to pause and reflect, as if you are observing yourself coping in your stressful world," advises Octavius Black, director of The Mind Gym in Kensington. "Remember that you can only affect what is within your control, so it is pointless getting worked up about anything beyond it. Also, try to think of how someone you respect or admire would cope."