Bust that stress!
NOT SO very long ago, stress was mostly associated with people who did certain jobs- policemen, doctors and nurses, soldiers or CEOs were more vulnerable to stress and related illnesses. In the last decade or so however, stress seems to have taken on epidemic proportions, touching almost all levels of society. In today's world, it is not only the workaholic professionals who feel the pressure— but parents, children, clerks and secretaries, politicians, parking lot attendants-- practically everyone leads hectic, stress filled lives. According to one survey, stress has outstripped the common cold as the main reason for taking time off!
While we all lead stressful lives, the ability to cope with it varies from person to person. Some of us deal with it more efficiently than others. There are a number of things you can do to improve your ability to deal with stress. Here are some common stress busters to help you cope:
Dr Robert Schapira, consultant psychiatrist at the Florence Nightingale Hospital, London, says that there is a fine balance between our internal resources and the external demands on them. 'To beat stress you can either reduce the demands on yourself or increase your resources", he says.
To reduce work overload, learn to say no to unreasonable demands and to delegate tasks. Get organised; take better control of the ways you spend your time and energy. Do something relaxing for 20 minutes each day. When you are relaxed, you can think more clearly and make better choices.
Avoid bringing work home. An astounding three out of four people who work in large offices (defined as 100 people or more) work weekends, according to one report. Bringing work home, however, means prolonging your exposure to work related stress. Plan to get your tasks finished before the workweek ends, so that you can leave for home without a briefcase. This may mean starting work a little earlier to finish up the work, but the free and clear weekend will definitely help you recharge your batteries and more than make up for those extra work hours.
Simple things like switching off your mobile phone and leaving your laptop behind when you leave work, can help you cut down work related stress and relax by spending time with family and friends.
Create some quiet time for yourself, even if it means getting up 10-15 minutes earlier or staying up a little late. "You need at least 15 minutes a day to yourself," says Stephan Rechtschaffen, M.D., president of the Omega Institute of Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck, New York, and author of Time Shifting. "Use those precious minutes to simply listen to a quiet house, look out a window or walk the dog. Time spent regrouping this way may help you cope better than the extra sleep will," he advises.
No penny for this thought
Negative thoughts and a defeatist attitude can increase cynicism, tension and related stress. Think of a wonderful experience you have had and relive it. Practise being optimistic and look for the silver lining in every black cloud.
You can also try meditation or relaxation techniques to relieve your body and mind of stress and tension. Gardening, drawing and listening to music is believed to activate the right half of the brain that is responsible for processing creative and thought provoking stimuli. You can alter your mental state by meditation and alleviate your physical symptoms by progressive relaxation.
The two main principles of physical relaxation are purposely tensing the muscles to recognise the feeling of tension, then relaxing them letting the tension flow out of the body. Sit on a supportive, straight-backed chair, with feet flat on the floor, hands resting in your lap, and eyes closed. The place has to be peaceful, quiet, dim and free from any interruptions. A full session of progressive relaxation takes around 20 minutes. Extreme stress may lead to over-breathing, or hyperventilation. You can try breathing techniques to alleviate the symptoms. Practise a slow breathing exercise four times a day. Hold your breath and count to five. When you get to five, breathe out and say the word relax to yourself in a calm, soothing manner. Breathe in and breathe out slowly through your nose in a six second cycle.
One need not even mention the benefits of lowering stress levels. Not only will you become less susceptible to illness and other related problems; your efficiency will improve too. You'll relax easily, sleep better, have more energy and feel positive once again. No matter how much stress you are subject to, remember stress cannot affect you as badly as your perception of that stress. So don't let it get to you. Ever.
BINDU SRIDHAR
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