Why is it that an email from your perfectly nice manager automatically triggers your fight or flight response? How come the smell of a rose perfume brings you instant calm? Why do you feel so flustered when you’re wearing a different jacket to the one you usually wear?

If your answer to all of the above is ‘No clue, sorry,’ you could probably do with being a bit more in tune with your body and mind. Something that could help you do that is getting to know your ‘body barometers’, says Angela D Coleman, a holistic health expert and author of The Art Of Chilling Out For Women.

“How you respond to situations is rooted deep in your personal history,” writes Coleman in her new book. “These are your body barometers.”

What are body barometers and how could learning about yours help you?