“One of the reasons we feel so anxious is that we tend to live in a way that’s very reactionary,” says Jay Shetty, the author of Think Like A Monk. “We wake up and right away we check our phones, looking at social media, the news or emails. If we want a more positive, calm or focused attitude, we have to choose that mindset for ourselves each day. Just like we have a routine for putting on our clothes, we can have a routine for putting on our mindset.”

“Take five slow deep belly breaths in through the nose and out through the nose, allow the belly to swell on the inhale,” says the voice coach Anouska Taylor. “This stimulates your vagus nerve, also known as the anti-anxiety nerve. Conscious breathing can improve the connection between our brain and voice as well as helping us to feel calmer, as it has a central role in our body’s parasympathetic nervous system.”

Also try progressive muscle relaxation, known as Jacobson’s technique, which involves tensing and slowly relaxing various muscle groups in your body, one at a time, from your feet up to your frown. As you tense and release, take slow, deliberate breaths.

“A few minutes of mindfulness meditation can make a huge difference when you’re struggling to fall asleep,” says Dr Cortland Dahl, the chief contemplative officer at Healthy Minds Innovations. “Instead of ruminating about your day or stressing out about some future situation, simply pay attention to your breath. This can help you break the cycle of negativity and help you stay calm so that you can ease into sleep.”

Much of the conflict that brews on social media or in email conversations stems from simple misunderstandings. It can be difficult to get intonation across in a short tweet or post. “Commit to clarifying what each person means when you feel yourself making assumptions,” says Emma Gannon, the author of (Dis) Connected: How To Stay Human In An Online World. “Ask someone to clarify their post, statement or reply and to get specific. Often that author will rethink or rewrite or, on reflection, even change their view.”

Select a screen image for your smartphone that acts as an instant reminder for you to take one deep breath when you look at it. According to research from the University of Northern Colorado, this tactic will help you feel better and sound calm and more confident on the phone.

“To immediately de-stress, move – go for a quick walk or do a few push-ups,” says the clinical psychologist Nick Wignall. “Make – do something creative or generative from going outside and taking five interesting photos to replacing that dud lightbulb. And meet – have a meaningful interaction with another person.”

Tension in relationships often triggers negative thoughts and emotions. “One way to break the cycle is to practise appreciation,” Dahl says. “Treat appreciation like a skill and work on it. Try to notice one positive thing, even something small, about each person you interact with and every situation you find yourself in. Over time, this simple skill rewires the brain to be less focused on the negative and creates a sense of centredness and calm.”

“Information is to the mind what food is to the body,” Dahl says. “Unfortunately, much of the information we consume is junk or even worse, which triggers anxiety, distraction and feelings of social division. Be discerning about what you watch, read and talk about. Focus on things that bring out the best in yourself and the best in others.”

“Napping will help you calm down by providing your brain with a reset,” says Frederique Murphy, the founder of Mountain Moving Mindset. “Ideally, nap between 1.00pm and 4.00pm and time it to ensure sleep phases are respected. Fifteen minutes will increase your energy, alertness, motor skills and cognitive performance, while 90-minute naps will leave you feeling refreshed and boost memory and creativity.”

US research shows that rock climbers and hikers have lower stress levels than their less rugged peers, quite possibly because high-altitude air is charged with negative ions, which trigger relaxing and rejuvenating emotion when inhaled. In the day to day, even if it takes you out of your way, adding greenery to a journey can make your ride, walk or drive less stressful, according to studies by the University of Colorado and the University of Essex.

“According to a study, 84 per cent of drivers admitted to feeling stressed or angry occasionally while driving,” says Stephanie Taylor of StressNoMore. “Time pressures put upon us by others or ourselves fuel this anger. Pull over, phone ahead and make those waiting for you aware of the situation. This way, you immediately re-take control as quickly as possible to help alleviate the stress.”

“Humming encourages us to slow down the exhalation, as we voice on the exhale, which is calming for our nervous system,” Taylor says. “It also encourages a more resonant voice, as it helps to bring the sound forward, away from the throat. This will help to reduce any constriction or tension in the back of the throat. Try humming your favourite song as you read this and feel the vibration as forward as possible around the mouth and nose.”

Three sessions of 30-minute-plus high-intensity interval training will lower stress levels more than any workout done at a moderate pace University of Missouri at Columbia research confirms. The fight or flight response, which floods the body with adrenaline and cortisol, needs an outlet. A post-workout sauna will provide additional stress relief.

“Rather than lashing out, take a step back and name what it is you’re feeling,” says Nic Marks, the creator of the Happy Planet Index. “If you’re angry, say out loud, ‘That makes me feel angry.’ Calmly expressing your emotion, even if it’s to yourself, shows emotional intelligence and cultivates your control. It shows that you can access your emotions, but are not controlled by them.”

“When you verbalise your feelings by writing down your thoughts, according to scientists there is a decreased response in the amygdalae [the parts of the brain that process emotions],” Murphy says. “Functional magnetic resonance imaging showed that the amygdalae of test subjects were less active. This means that you are less prone to triggering the threat response – and it occurs simply by making the time to write it all down – which helps your brain calm down.”