Opinion: Judy Murray has the right idea when it comes to dealing with stress, says Sharon Griffiths

I never thought I'd have anything in common with Judy Murray – who always seems so fierce - and her boys are definitely better at tennis than mine.

But when they've got important matches these days she says she often can't bear to watch, not even on television. Instead, she takes to housework. 'I scrub and polish until it's all over. Then I find out the result,' she says.

Housework is brilliant for stress. You can tell we're a pretty stress-free family by the very relaxed state of our house.

On the other hand, when husband was once rushed to hospital in the early hours of the morning, or the boys were having some of their more dramatic adventures, I too scrubbed and polished and mopped frantically.

The house never looks so sparkly as when we're in the middle of some crisis. All that cleaning uses up nervous energy and you've got something good to show for it at the end.

A lot more useful than working my way through a packet of fags and a bottle of gin – tempting though that often seems.

Scrubbing is good for you, cleaning mucky marks is restorative. When you can't control what's happening in your life, making your home gleam is strangely satisfying.

I might write a self-help book on Scrub Away Your Stress – it could make a fortune.