HOW TO MANAGE STRESS

• 2020-08-19

It's difficult to keep up with this fast pace world thus, we are more susceptible to stress.

During this quarantine, when we have so much time on our hands yet we feel a little bit of pressure, the feeling of time slipping away can be stressful in itself. The pressure to be the best one, or meeting the basic needs, keeping yourself stable under such pressure is quite toll taking and results in stress.

Let's first know what stress is, stress is a normal reaction the body has when changes occur. The response can be physical, mental, or emotional.

The sources of stress can be from the environment, your own body, and sometimes your own thoughts. We know that negative situations are very stressful however, Sometimes positive life changes can also bring some amount of stress, such as promotions, moving for the job/college, or even moving out of your parent's house, buying a new house, or even a car.

So let's fight this stress!! The following are some tips to tackle stress and have an easy life.

Take a deep breath - PAUSE for a minute. Step away from the stressful situation for 1 minute at least.

Take a deep breath and repeat for 4-6 times more, it's very helpful as under stress our body goes through various changes and we feel a lot overwhelmed. To calm this overwhelming feeling, breathe.

Talk it out - Talk with someone that is near to you or call your favorite person. Talking is a good way to share your feelings. It helps in distracting from the stress plus the other person will also help you calm down. If you do not want to talk with others is okay, then talk with yourself i.e. self-talk. Listen and pay attention to your thoughts and say 'i can do this' or 'im doing this at my own pace and that's okay'. Such statements give you a boost of confidence to keep going on.

Look for triggers - the best way to tackle stress is to know what creates it, so look for particular elements in your surroundings that are stress causing. Triggers can be external i.e. the situation or internal i.e. our thoughts. If you are able to identify then you can reduce them or be prepared for those times.

Exercise - it's considered the most effective way to deal with stress as it helps in relieving both the physical and emotional effects of stress.

If exercise sounds too much, then simply stretching your tense muscle gives a relief. Stretch your body for more than 5 minutes and see the results!

Go outside - Aren't you tired of being cooped up in the same place since morning! So go outside, for a little walk, or even your terrace/balcony. Get in touch with NATURE and let it heal you.

Change of surroundings is a very good mood booster and cleanse your mind.

Hobbies - Hobbies are like small doses of happiness that you have. Set aside some time for your hobbies or even finding new hobbies. Hobbies make us feel good and a break from the stress. Just doing 20-30 minutes of your hobby is very calming in itself. They can be anything like reading, painting, dancing, watching a re-run of your favorite series, playing mind games, baking, singing, or playing an instrument, writing a journal, and many more.

Yoga & Meditation - It has no. Of physical and psychological benefits. It helps us in keeping a sense of well being and feeling of connectedness with God or a spirit.

Some of the yoga poses you can try are:-

Sukhasana (easy pose)

Balasana (child's pose)

Paschimottanasana (seated forward bend)

Anada Balasana (happy baby pose)

Uttanasana (standing forward bend)

Meditation is the practice of focused concentration.

It's shown promising results in managing stress. For this, you need to get in a comfortable position, close your eyes, and then focus on one thing e.g. breathing. It can be practiced for 30-60 minutes. If you are not able to meditate in the beginning it's okay, as it takes a lot of practice. So, Don't Give Up and keep on practicing.

Acceptance - Not all stressful situations are in control. Sometimes things happen that are out of our hands e.g. loss of someone loved. We cannot control everything in our life, thus we need to accept and move on. So do not think too much about such stuff, do not take the blame on yourself, be kind, and do not put yourself through such agony. You are human and it's okay.

Set realistic expectations of yourself and others, it helps in keeping things in perspective and enjoying life.