Life is Busy, or so we believe!

Every day, as we sport multiple hats of scaling up on the job, running side hustles, doting on family & friends and running errands – we tend to forget the most important factor in the equation

– ‘Ourselves’! We discount unkempt appearances, mental runaways, and gasping breaths under the name of ‘Being Strong’!

“The ripple effect of this prolonged & unchecked Stress…culminates into well…, more Chronic Stress – making one vulnerable to debilitating Anxiety and Health Disorders.

Here, Common Sense gives the game away!

Ask how?

How about ceasing Life’s Pressures in its tracks, on a daily basis, then running the health-threatening marathons set to blind the mind? But you might ask , “How do I know that am Stressed in the first place?”

Self-Awareness might be your cue!

 Know, that there are two types of Stress – Acute Stress is short-lived, but Chronic is when you have burnt all bridges to retreat to normal healthy behaviours. Anxiety takes it a notch up – you might end up with butterflies in your tummy or a jumping heart, that spirals out of control,every time you’re faced with an unanticipated event!

Both Anxiety & Stress are born out of External and Internal triggers. ‘External’ Triggers could be “losing one’s Job” and ‘Internal’ could be simply that feeling that “you need to get a specific GPA” to be “successful” in life!

We all respond to Stress in detoured ways:

• We defer to take Decisions aka ‘Immobilization’
• We refuse to accept the Stressor – ‘Avoidance’
• We Fight – ‘Aggression’ or
• We acquiesce to see eye to eye for ‘Peace’ aka ‘Surrender’

 But the above still remain as facile soothes!

Deep diving!

 In essence, we need to boost our ‘Coping Strategies’ to effectively take the edge off our Stress and Anxiety-ridden Brain circuits.

What say?

Our Stress Coping Strategies:

# Move your Body, within a minute!

As a start, even if you exercise for ten minutes – be it yoga, brisk walking, or a jog in the park, you distance yourself from you Stressor, almost immediately! Exercise pumps up Endorphins –your Brain’s feel-good Neurotransmitters, thus counteracting negative effects of Stress.

We recommend a 30-minute walk, 3-5 days a week, to bid adieu to your Anxiety!

# WhatsApp a Friend.

Vent out your harrows to a reassuring voice! Good relationships with loved ones and friends can act as a buffering shield against Stress and Anxiety.

Why not join a Social Group such as ‘Laughter Yoga, or ‘Book Club’ to re-engage your focus? Interpersonal Social Support can pave way to Stress resilience, higher Self-Esteem, and greater capability to deal with Negative Life Events such as death, scholastic failures, trauma and financial setbacks!

Get talking Already!

#  Google a Guided Meditation.

Our minds are perpetually travelling between past and future scenarios. What if I had done it otherwise? What if I fail at my task? Worries, worries and more worries! Remedy?

Science-backed techniques such as Mindfulness Meditation, Progressive Muscle Relaxation, Deep Breathing and Positive Visualization can alter your Life Perspectives by alpha and omega,giving you the necessary clarity in catch-22 situations!

 # Relish a Veggie Bowl.

Your craving for Greasy food increases when you’re worried! Did you know Leafy Greens and Fruits are your best bet against Anxiety?

Herbs like Chamomile too soothes the nerves. Inversely, gulping Caffeine has exactly the opposite effect!!

 Summing up, why not envision a Stress-Free Life Journey for yourself?

  Stress can be your maker or breaker, if only you learn to trim it!