Handle stress effortlessly 

  
By M. Sai Saranya 

“Stress” is a commonly used term these days. If we notice anyone who is tensed or anxious, we often ask
the person “You seem stressed out, is everything okay?” The sad reality is that stress has become a part of
most of our lives. It's not just the Adults who are under work pressure who experience stress. According
to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America,85% students have stress when their
exams approach. Since stress has become so common among all of us, it is important to know how to
manage stress. 

What is stress? 
Contrary to most people's belief, stress is not just physical or mental tension. Stress is
your response to a demand, a change or a situation in your life negatively. It’s the arousal and
value judgement that create stress. Arousal is basically how your mind feels, and value
judgement talks about how you take a decision. When high arousal is combined with a positive
effect, it's called eustress. Eustress is the opposite of stress. For example, when you are excited,
you generally experience eustress. When the body experiences a negative effect with high
arousal, that is distress or stress. 
 
Why do people think they have stress? 
There could be many reasons why people believe they are under stress. Some of which are: 
 Financial constraints (E.g.: Debt to be repaid) 
 Career and work (E.g.: Upcoming deadline) 
 External factors (such as climate or noisy environment) 
 Too much to do  
 Discontent with life (E.g.: No job opportunity0
The factors mentioned above are quite common, but they are not the actual reason why one feels
stressed. The only one reason why stress actually occurs is because we all have certain
expectations that we think we can control. When it gets out of hand, we get stressed out. 
How can we manage stress? 
Stress management plays an important role in making your life happier. Here are some ways in
which we can handle stress effortlessly: 
 Know when you feel stressed:  
This is not as straightforward as it feels. To determine when we have stress and when we don’t,
is in itself a tiresome task. To make it easier, you can fill a stress journal. 
 Sleep for an adequate period of time: 
Sleep is very important to feel relaxed. It's not the number of hours you sleep, it is the quality of
sleep that matters. Calm down and take a good nap during the day. 
 Don’t ignore fun: 
Every week, try to set aside a leisure time. Do something that you entirely enjoy during this time.
Always try to smile, when you greet others or when you are going to begin a task. 
 Mindfulness: 
It's not as complicated as it sounds. Mindfulness simply means being present at the moment.
For example, while eating your favorite food, smell, taste and truly enjoy the food.
By practicing this simple technique, you will start giving importance to little things in your life
which relieves stress in the long run. 
 
“Don't get stressed, do your best, forget the rest” -Lori Deschene