Managing stress
Author : C.P.Hariharan
E mail id : cphari_04@yahoo.co.in
More often than not, we hear from people around us that they are suffering from stress. If we analyze the reasons for stress, lack of proper income to meet the both ends, ever increasing inflation are the root causes of ever increasing stress levels. Too much of stress leads to depression and sometimes even to cardiac arrest.
Pollution and filthy environments also contribute to breathlessness and add fuel to the fire of stress.
We face stressful situations when we deal with adamant, arrogant people who do not have submissive attitude and are self assertive by nature. They always argue that they are always right and never listen.
Uncertainty and insecurity are the root causes of stressful situations. Tomorrow is always uncertain. Untoward incidents of past also haunt us a lot. A poor economic background with nothing to fall back upon drags us to strenuous situations. We have to keep on struggling till we find ourselves even to reach a breakeven point of hand to mouth existence.
I f we analyze our own individual profit and loss account, we come to learn that virtually we do not earn anything. Whatever we are earning, we are spending on bare necessities, for example on rent, milk, food ,clothes, electricity, water and gas bills, property tax, cable and newspaper etc. to mention a few. The list is not exhaustive. These costs are inevitable fixed costs. If only we earn anything over and above these fixed costs, we can contribute anything towards our savings in which case we are said to be earning something. Any deviation below breakeven is a stressful situation.
It is easy to say forget and forgive the past and do not worry about future.
Our stress levels go on increasing relentlessly till we find ourselves in a situation when we can take a break and heave a sigh of relief.
We always hope that tomorrow will be better off. But, many a time our hopes get belied.
We always worry about what other people think about us? This also causes stress.
But, in reality nobody thinks about anybody as nobody is virtually interested in anybody as also nobody has time for anybody in this rat racing materialistic world.
So much of restrictions also cause stress. Pollution, Traffic jams, illjams (accusations) also cause stress.
In work situations, there are 1001 restrictions like do not talk to anybody, do not move in the office, talk only on intercom that too at a low pitch etc. Sitting on the same posture for long hours leads to stress.
There are more don’ts in our society than dos.
We cannot change the office milieu. But, we can change our reactions. There may not be proper lighting, or else flow of air, cross ventilation. Milieu may be suffocating. Computers may be obsolete. Still, we have to work and deliver the results and should not complain anything as nobody likes complainants as also nobody is ready to listen to our problems.
We are living in a problem oriented society and hence if go for solving the problems we will find ourselves in the lurch.
Just as waves in an ocean never take rest, human mind is wavering by nature which leads to stress and breathlessness. Thus, basically our restlessness leads to breathlessness.
Most of the people work in private sector where they have to deliver the job of Rs. 20/- for earning every rupee. Gone are the days, we could find 9 AM to 5 PM jobs. Now, such kind of jobs have vanished into thin air and not only that working time has been extended by 50% , at the same time for without any extra rewards like overtime. Most of the people in private sector work like this just to eke out a living. They always have to work under pressure to meet the dead lines.
There is a very wide chasm between rich and poor in our society. Rich are a class apart as they adopt their own way of living. Money stands as a wall to deal freely, fairly, frivolously with rich people.
In the backdrop of acute shortage of employment, stress levels have gone sky high. High expectations of people has also contributed to higher levels of stress as we try to please as many people as possible who come across in our day to day life’s path.
Stress cannot be eliminated altogether. It can only be mitigated. Sometimes, a bit of hyper tension do only good to our health. It precipitates our adrenaline which acts as a catalyst to flow of blood.
Problems are part and parcel of our life. Even before we could solve one problem, yet another crops up. Some people deliberately create problems for others. They are born to create problems for others. Managing people is more difficult than managing work itself. If we are in problem, nobody comes to our rescue. We have to find own ways to solve the problems.
Revengeful attitude only perpetrates and perpetuates hatred. Time, karma, God take revenge with everybody. Hence, we need not keep any revengeful attitude or else vengeance with anybody. This kind of soft approach will soothe our situations and will make room for peaceful environment. If we keep on fighting, there will be no end.
We are living in a nuclear, self centered society. Hence, stress levels will only increase as we have to be independent and do our tasks on our own without depending on anybody for anything.
War of words, sms wars leaves a long lasting scar on our mind. Still, we have to move on taking each day as a new opportunity.
Road rage, fighting for parking, water etc. are very common these days. People are least tolerant nor have they any patience. They are least bothered about fellow mortals.
Elders and pedestrians are never respected in our society.
We cannot change people. We can only change our reactions. The more we fight the bitter will be our experience. Hence, we need to negate, neutralize negativity. At the least, we need to postpone our reactions. Spontaneous outbursts do not contribute anything to problem solving rather they only aggravate the problems.
High level of stress leads to psychological disorders like OCD, schizophrenia , bipolar , frustration and depression etc.
There are many ways to bust the stress. Some people resort to meditation, some exercise, some go to gym, some go for jogging. All these techniques provide us resistance power to manage stress.
Sometimes we would like to go for a sojourn to rejuvenate ourselves. That’s why people go to hill stations and all that to bust the stress amidst problems.
If we think, we will go to kasi for a holi dip only after solving all the problems, that will never happen. We have to sink in between.
The more we remain independent, the lesser will be the stress levels. The moment we seek any favor from any fellow mortal, our stress levels get shot up.
Stress has direct impact on diabetic, BP and heart patients.
Negative thoughts can never give us a positive life. Positive and optimistic thinking help us to reflect a glaring smile on our face. We witness spiritual leaders have a glaring smiling face. Such kind of glamour lasts long.
Leave the people who argue a lot in their own world. Just think that a dog barks at sun for no reason. If you perpetuate arguments they will never stop. When we give space, we give opportunity to them to think in a calm and composed manner. Things will definitely improve in due course of time.
Exercises like pranayama also go a long way in busting the stress.
Introspection also helps to a certain extent to reduce the stress levels.
We can also manage stress by resorting to fasting and by going for balanced diet. Too much eating is as pernicious as too much fasting. Fasting is a feast to soul and over eating is like a poison.
Some people go for santhara i.e fast unto death to attain salvation. Such kind of steps are reflections of extreme levels of frustration and superstitious beliefs.
Keeping aloof from negative people is quint essential in busting stress levels.
Never ever compare yourself with anybody, as each individual is unique in this universe.
Prayers also help us to beat the stress and help to regain and reinstate our lost hopes and strengths.
Loneliness helps to relieve buttressed stress.
Some philosophical thoughts
We will get only what is predestined that too at a prefixed time. Everything will happen when time is ripe. Everything is predestined.
A seed takes it’s own time to germinate. A gardener may water it with hundreds of liters of water. But, it germinates only when the time is ripe.
Rains do not pour as we wish. It comes at it’s own time.
Everything takes it’s own course. We need to have lot of patience and forbearance attitude.
Bhagawat Gita reminds us that “ we did not bring anything to this world, nor will we take way anything from this world to the grave”.
If we think in this way, much of our stress can be done away with.
Author : C.P.Hariharan
E mail id.: cphari_04@yahoo.co.in
