“If the problem can be solved why worry? If the problem cannot be solved, worrying will do you no good.” –- Santideva.
Look around. People surrounding you – family, work, social circles, or just strangers walking by. Each and every one of those has to deal with stress, every single day. Be it your ninety-year old grandfather, or your forty five-year old boss, or the twenty-year new member of your team, or your neighbour’s three-year old kid. Stress is inevitable; no one can run away from it.
Sometimes, the amount of stress becomes too much to handle. Our regular routine gets taken a toll on. We need more stress busters, something to let off the steam. As a result, we indulge ourselves into certain activities, trying to feel good. Let us see what these activities are.
Eat:
It is not always hunger that makes us pick the food on our plates. When we are actually hungry, any kind of food will satisfy the hunger. But most of the times, our food choices are determined by our moods. Remember, how you ‘just’ need that little kick of sugar when you are feeling dull! All junk food works because of our inability to tackle stress. Overeating, binge eating, midnight snacking, cravings – they all thrive because of stress.
Drink:
Everyone who has ever had a drink or two, knows the feeling of lightness that follows. People try to find solace in alcohol. Social drinking may be okay, but please remember alcohol is not the solution for stress. Making it a habit will be detrimental and will only add to the worries in life.
Sleep:
Sleeping too much? Or unable to sleep?
Stress affects sleep directly. We are either unable to fall asleep even after a long tiring day or we are sleeping all the time. If you are sleeping more than 8-9 hours a day, you might be trying to run away from stress.
Idiot box:
Does your life revolve around the TV or the laptop? If yes, maybe you are stressed. These machines give you entertainment at fingertips. Also, they make your mind dull. The mental activity and chain of thoughts running through your mind take a break. It is a good way to relax and unwind but excess means you might be trying to run away from real life.
Smoking:
The nicotine in cigarette is another stimulant. If you have ever known anyone who has tried to quit, ask them which are the worst days. The worst days are those which have been most stressful. Anand started smoking in his college days, when the exam tensions were at the peak. Married now, he has a one year old daughter and wants to quit. Though he goes days without smoking, a bad day at work is all it takes to trigger his strong urge for ‘just one puff’. Again, don’t forget that momentary release of pressures by these methods will not erase the troubles.
Fight:
Last few months, Shana has noticed her friend is too irritable, gets offended easily and ends up fighting for trivial issues. If you are facing something similar, please talk to that friend. He/she is simply stressed out because of other pain points.
Distracted:
People remain distracted by stressful thoughts and are unable to focus on the work at hand. The school children who show inconsistency in performance are actually unable to handle the stress. Inability to concentrate and wandering of mind affects the quality of work being done.
Stress makes our defense mechanisms weak and to elevate our mood we get into unhealthy activities. Find better ways to beat stress, like developing a hobby, going out with friends, take a break, etc. Don’t let these bad habits chain you down.
Stress is unavoidable but don’t fall in the stress trap and get into bad habits.
