Stress Management

The fast pace of life is taking toll on every city dweller,
right from students to home makers and workers to managers,
every body is hit by the bug of the stress.

The fast pace of life is taking toll on every city dweller,
right from students to home makers and workers to managers,
every body is hit by the bug of the stress. Modern
technological development and communication aids are adding to
the stress because of their high speed. Traveling, exams,
admissions etc. at times are too stressful for students as well
as parents living hectic lifestyle. Stressed individuals are
paying heavy toll in terms of health and well being as they are
more prone to stress induced diseases such as headaches, upset
stomach, rashes, insomnia, ulcers, high blood pressure, heart
disease, and stroke. Most people get trapped into the vicious
circle of stress induced diseases and find it difficult to
tackle it at later stage. Hence it is very important for us to
learn to manage the stress.

So what is stress?
Stress is an individual's perception and assessment of the
environment. It depends on how one perceives the situation. The
positive perception is called eustress while negative perception
will lead to distress. The amount of stress at which each
individual functions most effectively is unique to each
individual and it is known as optimum stress level (OSL). Any
response, mental or physical, which adversely affects
performance, is called negative stress response.

That which creates stress is called stressor. There are
different types of lifestyle stressors:
Performance Stressors: These are situations where one is
stressed to perform, viz. Driving a car, public speaking,
performance appraisal, big events in one's life viz. Exams,
marriage etc.
Threat Stressors: These are situations perceived as dangerous,
viz.: Riots, War, High risk sport, accidents etc.

Boredom Stressors: These are situations which are perceived and
assessed as lacking in physical or mental stimulation, Viz.
Household chores, Routine factory work etc. Frustration
Stressors: These are situations which are perceived and
assessed as being undesirable but beyond one's power to
control, Viz. Govt. Taxation.

Bereavement Stressors: Loss of relationship, Death of loved
one, losing a Job, possession or Reputation, dignity etc.
Physical Stressors: Actual physical damage viz. breaking limbs,
suffering from disease or infection, working in conditions where
extreme temperature and pollution exists which can not be
avoided.

Effect of Positive Stress:
As we have seen, positive stress adds anticipation and
excitement to life, and we all thrive under a certain amount of
stress. Deadlines, competitions, confrontations, and even our
frustrations and sorrows add depth and enrichment to our lives.
Our goal is not to eliminate stress but to learn how to manage
it and how to use it to help us. Insufficient stress acts as a
depressant and may leave us feeling bored or dejected; on the
other hand, excessive stress may leave us feeling "tied up in
knots." What we need to do is find the optimal level of stress
which will individually motivate but not overwhelm each of us.
If you are experiencing stress symptoms, you have gone beyond
your optimal stress level; you need to reduce the stress in
your life and improve your ability to manage it.

So, how do we manage stress?
As there are many sources of stress, there are many
possibilities for its management. However, all require work
towards change. As stress is an individual's perception and
assessment of the environment, one needs to look into the
possibility of changing one’s perception and the reaction to
it. In fact, the ideal change will be to convert our reaction
to response. So what is the difference between reaction and
response? Reaction is habitual, uncontrolled, and impulsive
while response is well thought, contemplated act with
awareness. A responsible person responds and never reacts.
Responsibility is one’s ability to respond.

How do we proceed?

1. Awareness of Stressors: Become aware of your stressors.
Watch your physical and emotional reactions to stressors. Do
you become nervous or physically upset? Notice the situations
and events that create high levels of stress. Understand how
your body responds to the stress.

2. Breath awareness: Bring your attention to your breath.
Breath awareness will make you more aware to notice various
aspects of stress, situation and its effects on your body-brain
system. Breath awareness will bring the understanding of the
dominant nostril. At any given time, we have one dominant
nostril and one blocked nostril. The dominance and the blockage
can be of varied degrees.

3. Change the dominant nostril: This is one of the oldest
secret of “Shiv Swarodaya” or Swar Yoga. As you become aware of
stress and the dominant nostril, simplest thing to do now is to
block the dominant nostril by pressing thumb on that nostril
and breathe through the other nostril for twenty one times.
Normally this is sufficient to change the nostril and stop the
setting in of the stress. This simple method works in a
miraculous manner to manage stress!

4. Practice “Nirmal Kriya”: Nirmal Kriya is one of the most
powerful methods to eliminate stress instantly. It takes only
half a minute to practice it. Here is how you go about it…
Start with a couple of deep breaths. Now start with four short
breaths and end with a long breath. During the long breath
exhalation, create friction in the throat region. (This is
known as Ujjayi Pranayam). This makes the train of five
connected breaths. Repeat such train five times and you have
completed 25 connected breaths Nirmal Kriya. You can do it
standing, sitting or sleeping positions. You can repeat it
every hour or anytime you feel you are drifting into the
stressful situation.

5. Change your Attitudes: Become more positive towards stress
management. Look at every situation in a positive manner,
including the stressful situations. In fact we learn our best
lessons of life from the worst situations!

6. Set your Goals right: Practice SMART Goal setting. Let each
of your goal be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and
Time bound. Pursue realistic goals which are meaningful to you,
rather than goals others have for you that you do not share.

7. Manage your Time: Practice Time management techniques and
manage your life accordingly. Prepare the list of things to do
every day morning. Set your priorities right. Follow your own
system to the extent possible and also be flexible to change
your system to suit your new environment.

8. Improve your EQ: Emotional quotient is based on Emotional
Intelligence. Reduce the intensity of your emotional reactions
to stress. The stress reaction is triggered by your perception
of emotional danger. Are you viewing your stressors in
exaggerated terms? Are you over-reacting and viewing things as
absolutely critical and urgent? Work at adopting more moderate
views; try to see the stress as something you can cope with
rather than something that overpowers you. Put the situation in
perspective.

9. Take care of your body: Exercise for cardiovascular fitness
three to four times a week Moderate, prolonged rhythmic
exercise is best, such as walking, swimming, cycling, or
jogging. Practice Yoga regularly. Eat well-balanced, nutritious
meals. Maintain your ideal weight. Avoid nicotine, excessive
caffeine, and other stimulants. Get enough sleep. Be as
consistent with your sleep schedule as possible.

10. Take it easy: Mix leisure with work. Take breaks and get
away whenever you can. Develop some mutually supportive
friendships and relationships. Frustrations, failures, and
sorrows are part of our life, for learning lessons. Always be
kind and gentle with yourself -- be a friend to yourself.

About the Author: Mr. Prem Nirmal teaches “Stress Management”
at various B-Schools and also conducts Stress Management
programs regularly at TAO, 209, Krishna, Laxmi Ind. Complex,
Vartak Nagar, Pokhran Road-1, Thane (W).Mumbai. India. For more
information, log on to http://www.premnirmal.com  Or e-mail to
prem@premnirmal.com or call 9224127682.

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