Beat the Stress before it beats you

Introduction:
Stress is a state of mind experienced by individuals facing extraordinary demands,
constraints or opportunities. The pressure of modern life, coupled with the demand of
a job, can lead to emotional imbalances that are collectively labelled ‘stress’.
Unfortunately, stress is a fact of life. It’s something every one of us has to deal with.
It’s all around us, from job pressure to family situations. From road rage to the nightly
news – we can’t escape stress.
Types of stress:
1) Eustress
2) Distress
Eustress is a healthy form of stress that gives us positive feelings and make us feel
good about ourselves. It increases our efficiency and effectiveness.
Distress, is a negative form of stress - the one that we most commonly associate with
stress. It is defined as persistent stress that does not resolve itself despite our best
efforts. This form of stress can be chronic and debilitating to the individual.
Some sign and symptoms of stress:
Acne, Headaches, Chronic Pain, Frequent Sickness, Decreased Energy and
Insomnia, Changes in Libido, Digestive Issues, Appetite Changes, Depression, Rapid
Heartbeat, Sweating etc.
Few tips to reduce stress:
Corrosion of metal looks innocuous, but with time it will destroy the inherent strength
of the metal, like wise stress weakens the mind & body, making us more prone to
many diseases. We paint the metal to prevent the corrosion; similarly, we can protect
oneself from stress by changing our attitude & habits.
 Keep a positive attitude
 Be assertive instead of aggressive. Assert your feelings, opinions, or beliefs
instead of becoming angry, defensive, or passive.
 Learn and practice relaxation techniques; try meditation, yoga or laughing
therapy.
 Exercise regularly, your body can fight stress better when it is fit.
 Eat healthy, well balanced meals.
 Learn to manage your time more effectively.
 Set limits appropriately and learn to say no to requests that would create
excessive stress in your life.
 Make time for hobbies and interests.
 Get enough rest and sleep. Your body needs time to recover from stressful
events.
 Seek out social support. Spend enough time with those you enjoy.
 Lastly, but not the least: Accept the things which you cannot change.
Conclusion:
Stress is like the tension in the strings of guitar, if there is less tension in the strings of
the guitar it will not produce good music, so also excess tension will break the strings
of the guitar. Guitar has different strings, like wise there are different strings/aspects
in an individual’s life: personal, family, social, work, etc.
One has to decide for himself how much tension is optimal for each of these strings.
There is no panacea to stress management, since everyone has a unique response
to stress, there is no “one size fits all” solution to managing it. No single method works
for everyone or in every situation, so experiment with different techniques and
strategies.
Focus on what makes you feel calm and in control.

Shaikh Sahil
Manager/S&T
NHSRCL, Surat