✎ Editor's note: This piece was originally published on LinkedIn in 2016, when mental health conversations were still considered somewhat taboo in professional spaces. A decade later, this candid reflection on stress management and sleep remains urgently relevant—especially as burnout and anxiety have only intensified in always-on work cultures.

There are some weeks where I feel like I am constantly battling with stress or anxiety.

There are even times where I stress about being stressed and then I make myself anxious about not being stressed about something that I think I should be stressed about. What a nightmare.

I have spoken before publicly about the struggles and strains of agency life coupled with the magic that is bubbling away at the edge of your comfort zone. Talking about stress or anxiety in any industry still seems to be regarded as a bit of a taboo. Let it be known, I have suffered with both and to this day I can still find myself sinking back into old negative habits. It has only been in the last year that I have learnt some amazing coping mechanisms and shrugged off the self-perceived stigma of being lesser than my peers because I care a little too much.

Ask yourself these questions:

Do you find it hard to sleep at night?
Do you over analyse every situation and end at the worst possible outcome?
Do you feel out of control?

Don't let stress or anxiety win. I can still let my woes get on top of me, certain thoughts manifest in my already tired brain, becoming dramatically worse as my chest tightens and I feel my heart skipping several beats coupled with uncontrollable sweaty palms. Seriously, not a good look.

But, there is no need to suffer in silence as there is nothing to be ashamed of—we all get a little run down and tired from time to time, and this can manifest itself in a variety of forms. If some of my learnt coping mechanisms below are not working, there is no harm in talking to a specialist. If you had a broken leg, or suffered with the flu, you would see a doctor. I firmly believe the same goes for your mental health.

Tip One: Ride the ebb and flows of the season

There are stressful periods in any industry—make sure you remain fixated on a personal and professional goal. Book a holiday, or seek out a new training program you'd like to join when the busy period is over. Take control.

It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it.

Tip Two: Talk to someone

Riding the seasonal wave of work, and pitching can be overwhelming, especially when you might be new to the industry. Do not suffer in silence. I often give the advice which encourages my mentees to talk to someone—and it seems to be the hardest lesson to fulfill. There is absolutely nothing to lose if you are solutions focused. You will often find by positively talking about your stress many others come to your aid, or feel the exact same way. As cheesy as it is, it's one team, one dream.

The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.

Tip Three: Get more sleep

I struggle with sleep. It often takes me about an hour to really begin drifting off—that's if I don't start thinking about what's left to achieve or about a really embarrassing thing I did about four years ago. Insomnia has only recently become a part of my stress and anxiety since 2015. It was triggered by a really stressful period in my professional and personal life which kept me up at night for what felt like months. Don't let it get this bad.

The first thing I would recommend is tip number two—get it all out and off your chest. The moment I found a mentor things lifted. I felt embarrassed to share my feelings but as soon as I opened my mouth I felt my mood lift immediately—it was like someone had literally taken the weight of the world off my shoulders.

Rest your mind with a good book, don't numb it with Netflix.

Talking to someone isn't a magic wand solution. You have to keep it up, keep talking and find confidence in someone you trust. The night time insomnia still hasn't completely ceased for me but I follow a few simple steps to clear my mind to make a stress free zone.

Listen to the sound of your own breathing.

This is a lot harder than it sounds—don't listen to anything else and keep your focus on your deep breaths. Try it and see how hard it is not to wander.

If you are overthinking, I have a small yet really effective technique to settle your mind. Lie down in your most comfortable position, conduct some deep breathing exercises just to settle your heart rate and then with all the lights off and eyes closed remind yourself of the room you are in. Think of things around the room that you can't reach. Just collect those items in your mind and keep focused to the mission. Once you have completed this, then begin thinking of all the items you could touch and collect them in your mind.

This simple exercise allows my mind to wander away from the "I forgot to..." and "I haven't..." and move towards the happier items in my room such as photos and memories. This should help you drift into a happy and deep sleep and erode those complex thought trains that erode on your sleep. If you struggle with just your bedroom, repeat the exercise but think about other spaces you enjoy or have enjoyed as a child.

Most people will recommend exercise, and whilst many leading psychologists will speak to it—sport and I really don't along. So try a few other techniques and let me know how you go. I'm still learning after all.

A simple checklist to manage stress: