I WILL SPEND MORE TIME BY MYSELF AND LEARN TO SAY ‘NO’ SOMETIMES

You need to look after yourself if you are to look after others. Think of a flight attendant who tells you to secure your own oxygen first in the case of an emergency aboard an aircraft.

American cardiologist Dr Marianne Letago says that your whole body reacts to stress if you are always standing ready to do something for everyone else around you. “You are going to feel as if you have no control. Your brain struggles to rest even though you are asleep. Chronic exhaustion increases the release of stress hormones and makes your blood sugar levels rise.”

Increased stress and tension can lead to diabetes, heart problems, problems remembering things and a tendency for fat to gather around your waist.