Stress impacts all facets of our lives and has devastating effects on the global economy, including reduced productivity and the burden it places on healthcare systems. Decades of research show that chronic stress severely compromises our physical and mental health. More recently, it has been revealed that stress can destabilise our DNA and affect our genetic integrity. This promotes many of the diseases that societies are currently grappling with and could potentially impact future generations. Yet stress has two faces: ongoing stress is one of the biggest challenges faced globally, but short intervals of stress can actually offer tremendous potential to grow, break personal barriers and excel.

Richard Sutton is an adviser on stress management and performance to industry leaders, prominent businesses, top athletes and Olympic teams. He is widely regarded as an expert in the field of genetics and their role in human resilience. For almost two decades, Richard has been a post-graduate lecturer at leading South African and international universities in the areas of human performance and health. In 2021 he released his second book, Stressproof: The Game Plan, which is aimed at helping businesses and their teams thrive in adversity