One cause of stress is uncertainty. Make sure you have any necessary facts and figures so you know where your business stands, rather than simply worrying about it. Then act promptly and decisively.

If your workload seems too much and exceeds any realistic achievement level, find a sensible way to reduce it.

Don't try to take the world on your shoulders. Delegate effectively where possible. Make sure the person to whom you delegate is thoroughly briefed and capable of doing the job. If you doubt their capability, it may lead to more stress.

You need to find a balance between establishing your own workload and empowering someone else to support you.

Building and maintaining relationships in the workplace will also help you eliminate stress levels. Learn to approach employees and colleagues openly and honestly if you have a problem. This honesty will allow you to share your concerns rather than bottle them up.

Prioritise. By identifying important tasks which need to be completed, you will be able to really make a difference and feel a greater sense of achievement. Lists are a great way to help this.

With a trend towards open-plan offices, the majority of us work in an environment which can be noisy and busy. Interruptions can lead to increased stress levels when you need to achieve a task in a set time. Why not adopt a "shut door" policy in the office? If you have an important job which needs to be done, let your staff know you can't be disturbed for a certain period of time.

Finish the job. Sometimes you have to multi-task, but if you can finish one job before starting another then do so. It is better to end a working day having completed certain tasks rather than starting a long list of jobs which remain unfinished and will need to be faced the next morning.

Be assertive. If someone offers you work, but you do not have the time to do the job properly, learn to say no.

Take time to relax and reflect. Try to ensure you take a break during the day to put things into perspective. Even a short walk to clear your head will aid your thought processes and relieve stress.

You can help your body recuperate from career stress by spare-time activities which use skills you ignore in your job.

If you work in a deadline environment, your body releases adrenaline to sharpen all of your senses so you can finish the job.

Activities like backpacking force you to slow down and rest the part of your brain which triggers the adrenaline response.

Likewise, those of us who have to make big decisions could find music relaxing.