How to de-stress

How to de-stress Tejaswi Rathore for BUSINESS TODAY

Stress is an integral part of today's corporate life. It can bog you down, and if left unattended, cause permanent physical and psychological damage. But it’s never too late to relax and rejuvenate… so let’s begin.

What is stress?
Stress is the emotional and physical strain caused by our response to pressure from the outside world. Common stress reactions include tension, irritability, inability to concentrate, and a variety of physical symptoms that include headache and a fast heartbeat.

What are the different types of stress?

Stress can broadly be divided into two categories: distress and eustress. The former is self-evident. Eustress has its roots in the Greek word eu, meaning good; thus, eustress is good stress and arises from positive events like marriage, promotions, windfall gains, birth of a child, etc. Thus, both negative and positive factors can lead to stress.

Some common stimuli are: pain, bright light, births, deaths, marriages, divorces, financial windfalls and losses, unemployment, conflict (at work, at home and socially), heavy drinking, lack of sleep, etc.

Is it a medical condition?

Yes. Stress is the disruption of homeostasis through physical or psychological stimuli… Hold your expression there… and check it in the mirror. What you see is a confused look, a frown and knitted brows… So much stress for not understanding an 11-word sentence. Shorn of medical jargon, it means, any physical or mental situation or activity that disrupts your peace of mind and leads to worry and stress.

What are the signs of stress?

Stress can cause both mental and physical symptoms. The effects of stress are different for different people.

The mental symptoms of stress include:

Tension
Irritability
Inability to concentrate
Feeling excessively tired
Trouble sleeping

The physical symptoms of stress include:

Dry mouth
A pounding heart
Difficulty in breathing
Upset stomach
Frequent urination
Sweating palms
Tight muscles that may cause pain and trembling

How does stress affect the body?

Under a stressful situation, the body prepares for either fight or flight. That is, either you will face the situation or look for an escape. Under sudden stress, you will get a burst of exceptional strength and endurance, as your body pumps out stress hormones:

Your heart rate speeds up
Blood flow to your brain and muscles increases by up to 400 per cent
Your digestion stops (so that your metabolism doesn’t use up energy that’s needed elsewhere)
Your muscle tension increases
You breathe faster, to bring more oxygen to your muscles

How does stress affect us adversely?

Stress can cause chronic fatigue, digestive upsets, headaches and back pain.

Stress can affect the blood cells that help you fight off infection, so you are more likely to get colds and other diseases.

Constant stress can increase blood pressure and can increase the risk for stroke.
Stress can increase the danger of heart attacks, particularly if you are often angry and mistrustful.

Stress can make an asthma attack worse.

Stress triggers behaviours that contribute to death and disability, such as smoking, alcoholism, drug abuse, and overeating.

Stress can lead to diminished sexual desire and an inability to achieve orgasm.

Stress makes it harder to take other steps to improve health, such as giving up smoking or making changes in diet.

How can you manage stress?

Fit in fitness every day: Getting regular physical activity helps you cope with stress. Give your stress to the pavement or the treadmill and let it go from your body. Staying active in winter elevates your mood and reduces stress.

Enjoy natural sunlight: Just going to the gym is not enough. You need to spend time in natural light and fresh air. About 15-20 minutes in the morning or evening is enough.

Indulge: Don't deprive yourself of the foods you love; this only leads to bingeing. Instead, plan to eat a small portion of the desired foods, eat it slowly, and savour every mouthful.

Relax: Give yourself 15 minutes each day of peace and quiet; reflect, meditate and unwind. Soaking in a hot bubble bath can help release your troubles into thin air. Breaking free from the family, a breath of fresh air, or escaping to a quiet room will energise and empower you.

Clear the office desk clutter: Keep your desk neat. Don't pile up paper and files; that will only make you irritable and stressed. Keep pictures of good times with friends and family on your desk. This will help you de-stress.

Take note of your water intake: A lot has been said about how you should drink water and all, but water does remain the elixir of life and helps you stay happy and cool.

Spend time with family: This does not mean that you have to go on a picnic or vacation. But just cook with your better half or help your child with his home work, believe us, these things work.

Check that ring tone: If the ring tone makes you jump out of your skin, change it NOW. Your ring tone should be soothing, that makes you reach for your phone, not lunge at it.

Dance your way out of stress: If your life is ruled by an overactive brain, dance could be the perfect way to de-stress and relax. If you're switched on 24/7 and often find yourself feeling stressed, try dancing.it will use up your excess energy, help you to relax and leave you happier and calmer than before.

Take a vacation: If none of the above works, then we suggest, take a nice vacation!

How to de-stress now?

Deadlines swishing past you... colleagues not delivering... boss behaving impossibly... stress, stress and more stress. Take these quick steps to de-stress at work.

Take a deep breath.

Relax your tongue.

Take one minute vacations. Mentally visit places where you find peace.

Picture yourself there soaking up the beauty and solitude.

Just exit the situation that is leading to all the stress.

Discuss the problem that's stressing you out with your team and your boss.

Can different colours help you de-stress?

Remember when, as a child, opening a new box of crayons or dipping your brush in a cup of water made you feel inventive and alive with possibility and choice. You could break free of pre-existing lines, combine colours, elongate familiar shapes or create surprising curves. We, as adults, have forgotten about colour, opting for basic black or the safe monochromatic look.

Colour has a powerful sensory appeal. Change your colours periodically to open yourself up to other people as well as your own disposition and energy levels. Here are some colours and what they might mean to you:

Orange is the colour of cheerfulness
Red is bold and energetic
Blue is calming and soothing
Yellow is intellectually stimulating
Green is healing
Brown is earthy
Silver is spiritual

How can you use colour to de-stress?

Try this quick colour centering exercise in the morning or whenever you need to regain your balance and empower yourself. Imagine that the centre of your forehead is deep blue. This is where your creativity and inspiration reside. Next, your heart, no matter what you have done in life, is pure white. Your belly is golden, because you are a confident, golden child. Now align the three colours in a straight vertical line, like a traffic light: blue, white and gold. Practise this for a few days and you will see how this little exercise “lifts” you up.