Have a heart, do not carry worries for too long

Over time, there have been so many different people who have and will continue to keep making several attempts to determine what exactly stress is, and what causes stress!

Though ‘stress management’ is generally agreed upon as the ability to maintain control over oneself when people and situations can go adverse, experts are still grappling with defining sure shot techniques of managing stress.

Most stress management experts would propose that it is not just what we carry in our minds but that it is about how long we carry it that causes stress.

The popular analogy given is that of holding up a glass of water for a long time.

Though it weighs only around 100gm initially for the first 5 minutes, soon it starts to feel heavier over time. If it is held for an hour, it would start to pain the hand. If we attempt to hold it for a whole day, then we would need medical attention.

It does not matter what the actual weight of the glass is, the longer we hold it, the heavier it feels. Same goes with stress too. The longer we worry, the longer we get stressed.

We are thus asked to worry less, not to carry work burdens home, and pick them up once we’ve rested a bit. Still, how to do so remains a mystery that most stress management experts struggle to solve.

Thus one way to manage stress is to change the way we respond to stress. Here are few simple steps that are easier to remember, because they come from the very word ‘STRESS’ itself!

1. Smile – There is no alternative to humor and a good laugh to feel relief from stress. Laughing relaxes the whole body and reduces stress.

2. Tears – At times it is also important to just let go and cry, especially during critical situations that are not in our control. Tears, once dry, give a sense of shared feelings and have a tendency to reduce stress

3. Rehydrate – That’s right... drink lots of water! The power of water, a natural resource is amazing even for stress management. Water rehydrates the body, gives us energy and can drive us into thinking and action to resolve situations.

4. Exercise – An energetic workout followed by deep meditation and breathing exercises helps the muscles to relax and feel more at ease in any situation

5. Sleep – Rest is the best way to beat stress! To let the body and mind drift off into sleep gives fresh energy to start off on action soon after.

Smile; Tears; Rehydrate; Exercise; Sleep! Use STRESS to manage stress!

Revathi Turaga is an International Trainer & Inspirational Speaker. She can be contacted at [email protected]