THE OVERWHELMED OFFICE WORKER

Madeleine Howell, 28

“I’m just so stressed at the moment,” has become my all-too-familiar refrain of late – the result of Christmas pressures, an office job, a break-up, and the looming spectre of a house move. So I’m not too surprised to learn that my cortisol levels are higher than ideal: I start the day at a nervous 485nmol; and by 4pm, when it should have sunk to around 150nmol, mine is still spiking at 224nmol.

Does that mean I can sign myself off work? Not quite, says Roberts: my blood work shows that my adrenal glands are functioning well, so while I’m overstressed, I’m not yet overstraining. He adds that now is a good time to make some changes so I don’t enter burnout territory: “For you, it’s about finding ways to cope with a hectic life, and bringing those levels down. Your body will be able to function better, and you’ll have more mental clarity – right now, your levels are too high to maintain focus.”

The first port of call is to improve my sleep – Roberts explains that when cortisol is at a healthy level, it interacts with other hormonal functions, such as the feel-good hormone serotonin, which later converts to the sleep hormone melatonin. So, no more caffeine after midday; and the glass(es) of wine in the evening really must go. Bah, humbug.

Exercise-wise, Roberts steers me away from high-intensity workouts and instead suggests a half-hour cardiovascular session “at a conversational pace”, three to four times a week. Jogging and cycling are both good because they’re outdoors, which

I’m told will help recalibrate my dodgy sleep patterns.

As for diet, Roberts says my habit of skipping breakfast is linked to my morning jitteriness (and that 8am cafetiere of coffee on an empty stomach isn’t helping either). He recommends I up my plant-based protein intake early in the day, to give my body something to digest and break down, and a chance to access its fat reserves. “You need to load up on protein: around 80g is equivalent to 16 eggs. Go for wholegrain porridge, butter beans, chickpeas, tofu and tempeh.”

His final suggestion is simple: hang out with loved ones. “Socialising, by which I mean spending time with people you want to be around, is great for bringing stress levels down. Connecting with friends and family allows you to take a step back from the whirl of life and remember how you’re supposed to feel within yourself.”

‘You need to load up on protein: around 80g is equivalent to 16 eggs. Go for wholegrain porridge, butter beans, chickpeas, tofu and tempeh’

‘The first port of call is to improve my sleep’