Stress gets the best of us at times, even our lovely indulge editor Annemarie Quill.
She arrived at the office the other day panicking about a looming deadline on a major story and, in her words, "having kittens".
She of course got the story done with time to spare, but not before reaching for the lavender spray to calm her nerves.
Work stress plays a part in all professions, but being overwhelmed to the point of feeling breathless or incapacitated is the pits.
Stress and the surging of adrenaline is part of a fight or flight reaction harking back to our caveman days, but in the modern world, we are not fleeing predators - and in practical terms, we need to get our work done, otherwise we might lose our jobs.
Over the years, I have had my own share of work stress and try to follow three simple rules:
1. Breathe.
All the meditation and mindfulness books say to do it for a reason: it works. Being conscious of your breathing, and slowing it down if your pulse is racing, or starting to breath if you're unwittingly holding your breath, is instantly soothing. Try it. Take 10 deep breaths. Don't you feel better already?
2. Don't reach for another cup of coffee.
It's tempting to distract yourself with a caffeine fix, but succumbing to the urge is counterproductive, increasing that nervy, on-edge feeling and making it much more difficult to focus.
3. Don't allow the enormity of a task to overwhelm you.
Compartmentalise and work through things logically, rather than thinking about the whole and feeling overwhelmed. Make a plan if you need to, and don't backtrack until each part is done.
Instead, wait until the end to check you are happy with the outcome.
Juliet Rowan is a Bay of Plenty Times Weekend reporter writing about lifestyle for Indulge.