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“When the going gets tough, those of us who are older often hark back to the ‘good old days’. Of course, there was never such a time. There is no doubt that we can at times find comfort in the past, but there is also a danger that if we cling to the past, we will only half-live in the present, half-experience the present moment…”

There you go with Sister Stan’s thought for the day from her international bestseller “Gardening the Soul: Soothing Seasonal Thoughts for Jaded Modern Souls,” one of three paperbacks that I have on my currently tidied up desk. On particularly mad days, you can find the book buried underneath a pile of newspapers, magazines and an assortment of work clutter. Today it’s neatly sitting at the mid-section of the pile, waiting to be revisited like an old friend.

And that I did today. Flicking through the familiar pages of Sister Stan’s book, I found what I needed to cap the week: a dash of positivity. Ah, Sister Stan knows me all too well. Her words never fail to disappoint.

This makes me wonder if I could actually keep a positive mindset without help from Sister Stan. With deadlines and expectations to meet day after day, the pressure in the workplace could mount to a killing crescendo. If there’s no Sister Stan to whip a magic wand of inspiration, what does one do? Here are a few suggestions that I think might work.

• Chocolate. A friend of mine says chocolate is the answer to everything. She happens to be one of the smartest, most credible persons I know so I believe her and well, because I can personally attest to chocolate’s magical stress-reducing properties.

• Alcohol (or smokes?). Not too much; just enough to get a little buzz in your head going. The right amount of spirit may not drown out the noise completely but trust me it has amazing muffling effects and could even bring you to fits of hilarity if you’re lucky.

• Nail biting. OK this could be disgusting and it’s actually a nervous condition that requires treatment but it feels good. Just take my word for it.

• More carbs, baby. Sugar and starch and everything nice are the ultimate stress busters. Hoard a dozen or so of those delectable neighborhood muffins. They go down well with tongue-scalding café mocca, or for those of you who prefer caffeine served cold like revenge, a tall frap with whipped cream and raspberry syrup.

• Work harder. It is very productive to throw all your emotions and work-related stress into work. Think groundbreaking ‘recycled energy’ which makes everything in this world more efficient. It could earn you carbon credits and even get you promoted.

• Take a walk. But make sure you walk within a 500-meter radius so you don’t stray too far and remember to actually head back to the office! Try periodic trips to 7-11 and buddy up with the storekeeper so you can borrow an umbrella if it suddenly rains.

• Sing (or dance?). Fun, harmless and generally tolerable.

• Spring clean. Discard souvenirs from bitter client relationships or projects you thought you could win. Meanwhile, file the fantastic stuff. It’s a lot like love, really. If it doesn’t work, chuck it out. If it does, make a lovey-dovey album!

• Count your blessings. When you’re running out of patience, don’t just count to ten. Count your 10 blessings and thank God for each of them and for the fact that the weekend is always just around the corner.

Happy Friday!