A little stress in our lives is a good thing — it motivates us and helps us do our jobs and run our lives as effectively as possible. But too much can cause problems. There is little hard scientific fact, but for many years stress has been recognised as being a possible contributory factor in a range of medical traumas, such as heart attacks and strokes and, in extreme cases, is viewed as a killer.

Most of us recognise when we are stressed usually caused by irritability, problems with sleeping and increased alcohol consumption and smoking, a combination of which can make the condition significantly worse.

And, unlike some home-spun schools of thought, treatment does not involve several glasses of wine after work, or a binge on chocolate.

However, it can be just as simple, according to stress relief expert Gilly Workman (pictured right) who has started a business offering stress reduction workshops.

She said: “I offer advice on specific breathing techniques and lots of practical advice, such as taking walks in the fresh air, not eating your lunch at your desk. It’s not rocket science but the message is that if you don’t care for yourself, then things can go wrong.”

And the results can be remarkable.

Ms Workman added: “I have been treating one person with eczema and after just one session, her skin improved dramatically.”

Setting up the Advanced Stress Consultancy now, in a period of recession, is timely as many people are feeling the strain of redundancy and financial worries.

And in the workplace itself there are also growing problems, with Ms Workman identifying a factor known as ‘presenteeism’ where an employee is present, but distracted by other worries, making them a liability for their employer.

She said: “If someone is worried about paying their mortgage it will affect their ability to do their job. And if they have worries about job security on top of that, then it could cost their employer a lot of money.”

Ms Workman argues that the cost of stress reduction can be relatively minor compared to that of an unproductive member of staff and, in fact, can boost the bottom line significantly.

In tandem with the two-and-a-half-hour workshops she uses techniques and therapies such as reiki and meditation, and is training in Indian head massage to boost her array of complementary therapies.

Mother-of- three Ms Workman, 51, is no stranger to stress, having been made redundant twice, most recently as manager of the Oxfordshire Sustainability Partnership, as well as seeing a close friend die of cancer.

To date she has been working with private clients from her Witney home, but is looking to expands into the corporate market, working with companies and their staff. Starting her own business has been a her own form of therapy.

“It was time to make some changes in my life and I see it as an opportunity and a challenge.”

o Contact: 07884 353628 Web: www.advancedstressconsultancy.co.uk