We’re all familiar with the negative effects of prolonged stress: it impairs your immune system and constricts your blood vessels, damaging your body and your relationships. But most people don’t go out of their way looking for stressful situations, so what can we do to protect ourselves when stress inevitably shows up? Eating healthily, drinking plenty of water, limiting caffeine and alcohol, getting exercise, fresh air and good sleep will all help you to deal with stress mo

If those words strike dread in your bones, then you’re not alone. It's even worse when they come from the lips of someone who you just can’t seem to gel with and who whatever you say, you just can’t seem to get your messages through properly. Wouldn’t life be so much easier if everyone dealt with issues and communicated in the same way? As someone who will do pretty much anything to avoid conflict, I’ve struggled in the past when dealing with people who seem to thrive on it.