She suggests the following: "From my point of view, I'd certainly recommend flower essences for people. Rescue Remedy can help you deal with crowds and queues. It's an emergency spray so if you find you're stuck in a traffic jam and you're getting angry, this is a great thing to take.

Another helpful remedy is elm, which can help you if you suffer a temporary loss of confidence about your workload and if you're overwhelmed by the amount of preparations that you have coming up to Christmas.

"I would recommend that people eat a balanced diet, and make sure they are getting enough of their B vitamins . . . which are depleted by alcohol . . . in the form of nuts and grains and leafy vegetables.

If you can't switch off, take an hour for yourself. Run a hot bath with lavender oil and take a couple of drops of white chestnut in a glass of water and sip, as it's very good for stopping mind-chatter."

Self-help tip

Try abdominal breathing. It releases tension, focuses the mind, improves posture and enriches the blood with oxygen.

1Empty the lungs fully of air

2Take a slow, deep breath in through your nose to the count of six

3Feel the air being pulled down into the belly

4Hold for a count of two

5Release the breath slowly from the belly upwards for a count of eight if possible

6Repeat until you start to feel calmer