Are you feeling irritable or moody, forgetting little things, and feeling overwhelmed and isolated? Don't worry. We've all been there. You're probably just stressed out. Stress isn't always a bad thing. It can be handy for a burst of extra energy and focus, like when you're playing a competitive sport, or must speak in public. But when its continuous, the kind most of us face day in and day out, it begins to change your brain. Chronic stress, like being overworked or having arguments at home, can affect brain size, its structure, and how it functions, right down to the level of your genes.

This is because my resolution is NOT to make a New Year’s resolution. 

Here’s my logic. 

Everyone wants to have high self-esteem — but attaining it can often be very difficult. 

Part of the problem is that our self-esteem is rather unstable to begin with, as it can fluctuate daily, if not hourly. Further complicating matters, our self-esteem comprises both our global feelings about ourselves as well as how we feel about ourselves in specific areas of our lives such as within our family or our work.  

But when our self-esteem is high, we not only feel better about ourselves, we are more resilient as well. Also when our self-esteem is higher we are also less vulnerable to anxiety.

Here are five ways to nourish your self-esteem when it is low:

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night having a full-blown panic attack?  

You are not alone. Panic attacks are surprisingly common. The latest research has shown that at least one-third of us will experience a panic attack at some point in our lives. 

While symptoms vary from person to person, they can include a pounding heart, shortness of breath, light-headedness, sweating, trembling, nausea, tingling or numbness in the fingers and toes, and an overwhelming sense of impending doom. 

Personal growth is real. I know the term is a bit vague and hard to pin down but for me it means the intangible process that people go through to either survive or thrive, even flourish. It's what happens to people who used to be unhappy in dead-end jobs but then change and are now doing what they love. It's the elusive factor that helps people finally walk away from bad relationships, embrace a new spiritual path or find a new passion. It's something we all want, even if we don't always know what to call it or how to get it.

As human beings we like to remain in control.

This is why when things happen in our lives that we can't control it really bothers us. This happens even though we know deep down that, in reality, we can’t change something once it has happened and we can’t predict the future. The only thing we can control is how we react in the present to these events.

When I lie awake at night worrying about the past or the future I, instead, think about, what I call, the art of acceptance. This is all about surrendering to what’s beyond your control. It’s a way of cultivating presence, awareness and calm in the NOW. And once this is achieved it can change your life for the better.

For me, I’m never more calm, clear or confident than when I adopt the art of acceptance.

It is an invaluable tool when managing stress as it has been shown to effectively lower blood pressure, calm the nervous system and regulate the immune system plus so much more.

So, how do you incorporate the art of acceptance in your life?

It comes down to 3 simple principles: