Stress is a perfectly normal response to a challenge that enables you to rise to the occasion and take appropriate action. If under your control, stress can be a potent source of energy, creativity and enjoyment.
Research indicates that emotional tension and muscular tension are linked. If you are tense, your muscles and mind become tense too. This can lead to headaches, joint and muscle strain. Stress can leave you feeling drained. This can result in a weakened immune system, disturbed sleep and weight gain or weight loss.
Stress is
Restlessness, lack of energy, muscle fatigue, irritability
Restless sleep
Feeling keyed up or on-the-edge
Difficulty concentrating
Constant worry
Instant pick-me ups
Breathe deep: Shut your eyes, and take seven slow, calming breaths. Every time you inhale focus on breathing in calmness, and when you exhale, breathe out all mental fatigue.
Eyes palming: Sit cross-legged on a mat or sit on a chair. Rub your palms together and lightly place palms over eyes, and hold the position. Relax your eyes, relax your mind, then slowly open eyes. Repeat five times.
Tense-relax: Shut your eyes. Tense your entire body. Hold for two seconds and relax completely. Repeat thrice. Breathe in slowly and breathe out slowly in a relaxed manner. Repeat thrice.
Exercise, exercise: Any physical activity, be it yoga, stair climbing. running or martial arts can help release stress.
Fit fact: Exercise gets blood flowing to your brain and that can have the same effect as drugs prescribed for depression. Also, exercise triggers the release of endorphins, hormones that produce a sense of well-being and reduce stress.
Tips To Battle Stress
Get your life in balance. When the balance is right, you have space for yourself and for your relationships, interests, exercise, and so on. Assess your life regularly and re-address the balance if it is too far out.
Know that the mind is king. Often we forget to tune in to the inner intelligence to spot signs of tension and keep stress at bay. When the mind is at rest your innate self-healing powers come into play and the stress response is reversed.
Get regular health checks. Consult your physician when you need to — if you are too preoccupied with work, it is easy to miss signs of physical tension building up.
Find quick measures to de-stress. For instance, physically remove yourself from your work environment during your lunch break or stretch at your desk, deep breathe, listen to music.
Switch off from work after office hours. If the stress of work dominates your personal life, establish habits to detach yourself when you need to. If you can switch off and relax you are more likely to be more productive.
Establish healthy eating habits. When you consume fruits, vegetables, nuts, sprouts and wholegrain products, your immunity levels will improve.
Wind down at the end of the day. Sleep is a great stress buster. Allow yourself deep, refreshing sleep. Maybe you can listen to soothing music, drink chamomile tea or soak your feet in warm water to relax the mind and help you sleep soundly.
Ways to climb out of the stress trap:
Prioritize
Determine which areas in your life are really important.
Slow down
Don't be hard on yourself. Do things that are meaningful.
Simplify
Do not complicate your life. Simplify wherever possible.
Share
It is great to share responsibility and ask for help.
Communicate
Talking through problems is a great stress buster.
Use positive affirmations
I can do this.
As I master this experience, I am getting stronger.
I am doing my best, and my best is very good.
