Hisham Sarwar
When you have too much on your plate, the deadlines are looming, and people are counting on you, you start to feel overwhelmed. It feels like you are being pulled in, stretched from every direction.
You feel like every ounce of energy has been drained off and it becomes frustrating to cope with the stress. This happens to the extent that you feel your own performance suffers.
This is life in today’s modern workplace. It’s a race against the time, the survival of the fittest and stakes of staying in the competition of life has just got higher. One thing that makes a difference between successful and unsuccessful people is not whether or not you suffer from stress; rather it depends on how you deal with it.
There are many reasons for Stress. It could be physiological or mental stress. Lack of exercise, meditation and spending too much time on your smartphone and social media could be one of the reasons. Bad family relations, poor financial situation, a lengthy commute, long work hours, annoying colleagues at work, bad habits, loneliness and lack of sleep also contribute a long way in building anxiety and eventually stress.
In the era of the rat race, it is not easy for everyone to cope with the pressure. Some completely break down while others suffer from anxiety and stress. Surely, there has to be a way to get out of it. There have been numerous researches explaining the core reasons for stress and how to come out as a winner in a short time.
Stress also causes an imbalance in your eating habits and could ultimately result in a terrible state of burnout.
Following are the 5 simple ways that can help you deal with anxiety and stress. By adopting these ways, you can eventually become stress-free in life.
1. Exercise regularly:
When you work out, your body releases a soothing neurotransmitter GABA that helps to reduce stress. Exercising on a daily basis helps you to come up with new ideas and sparks your creativity.
Tony Robbins, a famous life coach, a motivation speaker talks about Power Positions. Research which was taken up by the students at Harvard too. According to Tony, if you adopt power positions, your Testosterone which is a hormone of happiness increases resulting in the reduction of Cortisol, a hormone of Anxiety, stress and depression.
Watch the video. See how Tony exhibits a couple of minutes of high power body postures that release stress and anxiety from your body.
2. Schedule your chores:
Chores seem like a never-ending task and if you don’t limit them, they have the tendency to monopolize your free time. Therefore, schedule your chores just like the other tasks you perform. Allot a time limit to each one of the chores and when you feel like they are not getting completed, leave them to be done on the weekend. This is going to reduce the stress of your whole day being dragged down.
3. Disconnect from the digital world:
In today’s world, it is really difficult to separate yourself from work even after set timings because of the constant digital connection. This makes you available 24/7 which increases the stress levels. For this purpose, you need to set specific timings for checking your emails or responding to the voice mails. Do not respond through your digital devices whenever a mail is received until and unless something is really urgent.
4. Stay connected with your family:
In order to recharge and relax, you must spend some quality time with your friends and family. Go to the park, for hiking, or to meet people you haven’t met in a long time. You will be glad at the end of the day and will feel much lighter and recharged for the entire week ahead. Also, gratitude results in happiness. Be thankful to your family relations for being in your life.
5. Pursue a passion:
When you have a passion in life, your life becomes interesting. Every day you look forward to doing something that can get you closer to your goals. You can easily tackle stress if you engage with your efforts in a healthy manner. Work for achieving your goals by enjoying working for them.
Remember, stress and anxiety are real. If you are suffering from it, you take immediate steps and make it a habit to adopt the five ways in your life. It takes a while to get used to it and get over stress and anxiety but you will cope with it eventually.
If you see someone with a dropped shoulder and their body language reflects something wrong. Don’t ignore the signs, go and tell them, it’s okay and you will get over it and show them the way.
As Alan Watts said, Don’t take life too seriously, nobody gets out alive anyway. Tell yourself and those who are suffering, it’s just another bad day, not a bad life.
