TAQ 5“Stress is the body's normal response to anything that disturbs its natural physical, emotional or mental balance. Stress reduction refers to various strategies that counteract this response and produce a sense of relaxation and tranquility'' (1-TheFreeDictionary.com). Stress has become part of everyday life especially in the Western world and particularly in the workplace. Work stress is the result of workers' negative and harmful reaction to the demands, pressures, goals, expectations and demands placed on them at work. Every worker, especially professionals, essentially needs some measure of stress in their life to deal with the challenges of daily life, but if it is constant or acute, it becomes dangerous for health. According to the latest estimates from the Labor Force Survey, in 2011/12 the total number of stress cases was 428 000 (40%) out of a total of 1 073 000 for all occupational diseases 2 (http:// www.hse.gov.uk). Stress, particularly work-related stress, can be a significant cause of illness and leads to high levels of sickness absence, low productivity, staff turnover, increased errors, lack of concentration and other problems. Stress must be controlled, understood, managed and reasonably minimised. There are several strategies and therapies available to help people relax, cope and manage stress. The main trigger of stress is known as stressor. The stressor can be a positive or negative event such as marriage, a move, a promotion, the experience of violence or bereavement, feelings of guilt or anger experienced in a relationship, natural disasters, frustrations, worries about exercise physical or hard work and much more. Work-related stress can, following certain actions, such as a formal warning, a reorganization,… half of the document… a harsh world, significantly increase the amount of work-related stress that does not disappear in any way. Soon. There will always be a demand to do more for professionals and the workplace in general. The only way to move forward is to live with it. Good stress management has both long- and short-term benefits. The short-term gain helps those affected to restore some sense of control over their lives, providing positive coping strategies and making them healthier and more relaxed. Long-term benefits also include a better immune system, good hormonal balance, and lower susceptibility to serious and life-threatening diseases such as heart disease and cancer. Poorly managed stress could trigger unhealthy habits such as smoking, illicit drug use and increased alcohol consumption, which can increase the risk of heart disease. Stress is here to stay and it's better to manage it than feel sorry for it.