“One of the reasons we feel so anxious is that we tend to live in a way that’s very reactionary,” says Mr Jay Shetty, author of Think Like A Monk. “We wake up and right away we check our phones, looking at social media, the news or email, and that sets our thoughts and our minds spinning. 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 voice coach Ms Anouska Taylor. “This stimulates your vagus nerve, also known as the anti-anxiety nerve, and so will help to reduce anxiety and stress in the voice. 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.”

“These are insane, busy times,” says Mr Ryan Holiday, author of Lives Of The Stoics. “But we have to focus on what we control. In reality, some negative visualisation – thinking the unthinkable – would have helped us respond better not only medically to the pandemic, but it would have helped us as individuals be a bit more resilient.”

Much of the conflict that brews on social media or in email conversations stems from simple misunderstandings. It can be difficult to get your intonation across in a short tweet or post. Arguments start because people don’t reread and edit what they’ve written. “Commit to clarifying what each person means when you feel yourself making assumptions,” says Ms Emma Gannon, 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, upon reflection, even change their view.”

Whether it’s being stuck in traffic or at the sharp end of a fellow road user’s bad behaviour, we all understand the frustrations of road rage. How to combat it? Ogmios, ASMR star and creator of the soothing School Of Zen Motoring, suggests rapping. He insists creativity from breaking out the beats can be a force for calm. “Battle rap is a good training in how to maintain composure in the face of hostility,” he says.

The battle-rapper also insists on a lemon and ginger pick-me-up. “Coffee is too stimulating for me,” says Ogmios. “It has me bouncing off the walls. I only have one in an emergency. I stick to herbal teas and houmous sandwiches – ultimate calming combo.” Research published in Nutrition & Food Science confirms that one to three cups of herbal infusions a day benefit sleep quality (chamomile), hormone control (spearmint) and stress (lemon balm).

Researchers from the University of Bristol discovered that when stressed-out men drank caffeine alone, they remained in a state of anxiety. But when they consumed it in the company of colleagues, social groups or the cast of Friends, the stress subsided.

If you cycle, a motorised boost on a busy commute or on a tough hill climb can give you a mental boost, too. “The benefits of using an e-bike may even outweigh those gained when riding a standard bike,” says Mr James Metcalfe of Volt Bikes. “Emerging research conducted by Oxford Brookes University and Reading University found that older electric bike riders had better brain function and mental health than those riding a regular bicycle.”

“A sharp suit and polished shoes will act like a protective layer of armour and give an air of authority in the boardroom, but it pays to employ a few nerve-calming nuances,” says Mr Olie Arnold, Style Director for MR PORTER. “Swap a potentially restrictive shirt and tie for a more tactile cashmere crew neck and wear a scent that evokes happy memories of loved ones, as if they were there with you.”

For a piece of inner calm, try a gratitude-boosting meditation technique from the Buddhist naikan practice in which you ask yourself three reflecting questions: what have I received from X, what have I given to Y and what troubles and difficulty have I caused? Taking time to contemplate what you’re grateful for reduces the stress hormone cortisol by 23 per cent, University of California researchers found.

Hearty, regular doses of vitamin C act as a pacifier to the body’s fight-or-flight hormone-secreting response, researchers at the University of Alabama discovered. In trials on rats, who have a similar bio make-up to humans, they found that about 200mg vitamin C twice a day stopped them going into stress mode.

“A few minutes of mindfulness meditation can make a huge difference when you’re struggling to fall asleep,” says Dr Cortland Dahl, 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 with appreciation and help you stay calm so that you can ease into sleep.”

Select a screen image for your smartphone that acts as an instant reminder for you to take one deep breath before you answer any call. According to research from the University of Northern Colorado, this tactic will help feel better and you’ll sound calm and more confident on your call.

“To immediately de-stress, move – go for a quick walk or do a few push-ups,” says clinical psychologist Mr 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.” Just maybe not the person who’s stressing you.

For a breed renowned for racing, greyhounds are generally mild-natured canines that are especially sensitive to their owners’ emotional state. They’ll pick up on your angst and will nuzzle in for a cuddle. Take them up on the offer. Studies published in Frontiers Of Psychology confirm how human-animal interactions quickly activate the body’s self-therapeutic oxytocin hormone release.