'How I stay sane'

With the pressures of work and family, it’s often hard to juggle everyday life. We all need stress-busting tactics to help us stay on track. In the October issue of FAIRLADY, we spoke to 13 accomplished women about how they keep sane in their busy lives (page 28). We then turned the question to our FAIRLADY team – here are some of their answers.

'Have a long, hot bubble bath. I lock the bathroom door, get a good book and be prepared to look like a prune when I make my exit.' – Kim Franks, Production manager

'Boot camp very early in the morning so that I’ve had my exercise and sweated out any frustration before the day even starts properly. That and an unhealthy relationship with large slabs of Aero chocolate!' – Julia Boltt, Consumer Project Manager

'I stop and imagine everyone around me dancing to "Play that Funky Music White Boy", flash mob style. Never fails.' – Robyn Maclerty, Senior Sub-Editor and Writer

'I stay sane by listening to music and running!' – Catherine Zacheriou, Junior Fashion and Beauty Editor

'Two things keep me sane and help me juggle everything. The first thing is lists – I am a compulsive list maker from cellphone reminders to actual handwritten lists. I find that if I’ve got a list I feel organised and everything will get done. The second is a bit of a cliché but it’s exercise – whether I go for a quick walk through the CBD in my lunch break or a run in the evening, exercise keeps me calm and stops me from letting the stress get to me.' – Jennifer Searle, Digital Editor

'Running does it for me!' – Sally Kramer, Consumer Test House Editor

'I have many unique methods to avoid having a mental breakdown. I usually put one of my pet snakes (yes, believe it or not, I have pet snakes) around my neck to ease the tension in my shoulder area. As they are cold blooded animals, their cool bodies have an immediate calming affect as soon as it touches my skin. If that doesn't work, I watch an episode or two of The Inbetweeners, a hilarious British comedy series which is incredibly rude and witty. If I can't muster a smile after that, then a slab of Cadbury Dairy Milk Bubbly will do the trick!' – Kelli Clifton, Assistant Beauty Editor

Tell us how you keep sane in the comments section below.