We don't suddenly break down, grind to a halt, get seriously ill. We do it over time, day by day, but by bit, straw by straw, until *snap* we broke the proverbial camel's back.

It seems sudden, shocking and out of the blue, but the truth is that all things manifest over time. They only appear sudden if we haven't noticed what was going on in the build up to the final crescendo that actually gets our attention.

To ignore the early warning signs is ignorance. Ignore-ance. The opposite of that ignore-ance is the simple ad self-supporting act of paying (as in investing) attention. Investing in ourselves, in self-care, in taking care of the little things. In doing what they tell you to on planes. That is, put your own oxygen mask on before you try and help anyone else.

When was the last time you checked the balance at your bank of blessings? If you’re running around overwhelmed by stress, you might be missing out on the things in your life that you can be truly grateful for.

Stress robs us of our intelligence, and it can strip away our empathy for others too. Stress can leave you a selfish ranting individual who others would rather avoid than spend time with.

Keeping a gratitude journal is a great way to keep bouyant in the face of whatever adversity your day throws your way. It can be a place to reflect on the good things in your life, and by doing so you can let the things that have been irking you melt away as they are dissolved by the warm glow of your daily gratitudes.

Are you aware of how other people affect you?

There’s a weird thing that happens when you’re not and it usually involves someone down the line getting a dose of your irritation so that you can offload some stress or negativity.

Here’s how it works. You spend some time around someone who’s negative, irritating, or critical - either to you personally, or just in their general manner and somehow it gets into you, and you end up feeling something like cranky, deflated, or irritated in result. Sooner or later you’re going to offload that somewhere you feel safe. This behaviour is the kind that lead to the saying about kicking the cat.