Stress nowadays is as common as air and water. We are surrounded by stress in everyday life – be it at work or at home and the stress levels nowadays are definitely much higher than what existed 100 years ago. We all live most of our life either in the past or in the future and very less time in the present. Of the three states in time, present is very tiny to make one get stressed. Apart from us, none of the animals live either in the past or the future and the amount of stress they take is very less.
We have all seen deer gazing the grass after a hard chase from a tiger. If we were chased by a tiger instead of a deer, we would want to first tell our friends and family about our narrow escape and then moan why does this happen to me and after that think deeply and plan what can be done to avoid this situation totally the next time. This attribute of us living in the past and future makes us come up with a variety of feelings – feelings like loneliness, pain, loss, peer pressure, money, relationship issues and many more. And, all of these feelings invariably end up creating or increasing stress levels.
We are all caught up in a pseudo-real world where we have a set of rules to live. These rules are on top of the rules of nature that govern all beings in this universe. By shutting ourselves in a world of rules and regulations we are exposing us to more and more stress everyday.
So, What’s the way out? Do I just break the rules?
Unfortunately, none of us can break these self-imposed rules. But, stress can definitely be handled by following a more matured approach about life. Having a “life is short” attitude is one way of combating stress. When we think of life this way, we end up worrying a lot lesser. This attitude lets us not to live a life in the past or in the future. We more easily understand that life is not meant to worry about the events that happened a few days before – like the meeting with the customer that didn’t go very well. We also understand life is not about ruminating on events that might happen in future – like the sales targets that need to be achieved in 2 weeks time. Nothing can be changed by worrying about it. But everything can be changed by acting. So instead of worrying about it, we need to have more action.
I would suggest having a motto to yourself whenever you get stressed. Something like “Stop worrying and Start acting”. Try this and see how this changes your life and your stress levels.
Philosophy is good…but would it work?
Having such a “life is short” philosophy is good but unfortunately it wouldn’t work at all times. Though life is short, bread needs to be earned and that doesn’t come for free. So what else can be done to combat stress?
Having a more balanced life style is an alternate option. Trying to achieve work-life balance will definitely reduce stress levels. If everything is nice and balanced then there is no real reason for stress to build. Planning a couple of weeks off from work every six months or so is a very good idea to chill out and rejuvenate. Reducing expectations is another option to tackle stress. We generally get stressed because we expect something and that doesn’t always happen. By reducing expectations and by understanding what is possible and what is not possible, stress build up can be kept at check.
Fair enough! Are there any practical techniques to combat stress?
Apart from these techniques, there are a host of alternate therapies available to control stress build up.Sport is the number one alternative. We concentrate and use a lot of mental energy when we play a sport. But different parts of the brain are used for different activities. Any physical activity is good as it helps the already stressed brain cells to recover. It also helps cleanse the body by pushing out sweat and makes you feel fresh and relaxed. You don’t need to play a sport to a professional level to overcome stress. Instead it should be considered as fun and enjoyed.
Many experts suggest breathing exercises like meditation, yoga, tai chi and pilates can efficiently fight stress. All of these exercises lets you concentrate on the body and use several breathing techniques that relieves stress and pressure. There have been many success stories with all of these activities. But, these exercises are not for all. I have always felt i never had the patience to do Yoga exercises for an hour everyday. I tried it very briefly and gave up. But for me playing a sport works very well. I think it is left to you to find the best suited exercise that fits your daily life.
Exercise is not for me mate!! What can i do?
Apart from these exercises, there are a host of other things that can be tried. Laughing is a very good stress buster and even watching sitcoms for an hour everyday is a great way to reduce every day stress. Socialising with friends and having a laugh together is a great alternative. Having friends will also let one to speak out about things that stresses them and that acts as a stress reliever. Clubbing and dancing are other alternates that can be considered to relax and recover from a stressful activity at work or at home. Sometimes changing eating habits and switching over to a balanced diet works very well for many people to avoid getting stressed for trivial reasons.
To bring out the best from yourself, you need to be out of stress and there are so many easy ways of handling it. All it takes is to be aware of the fact that you are stressed and you need to get out of it.
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