HOW TO OVERCOME STRESS

CONTENTS:-
Understanding Stress
1) Stress : Causes and effects
2) Stress : At work place
Stress Relief through Awareness
3) Breathing awareness
4) Anger management
5) Relationship management
6) Peaceful sleep
7) Regular exercise
8) Dosage of laughter
9) Relaxing music
10) Avoiding drug abuse
11) Goal setting.

Understanding Stress
Stress: Causes and effects
Stress: At work place
STRESS: CAUSES AND EFFECTS
Mental or physical tiredness is what we call stress. It is caused mainly due to
change. Anything that causes change in your life causes stress.
Major factors contributing to our stress are:
1. Change in our routine life style.
2. Changes in our financial condition.
3. Changes in our health
4. Change in our relationship
5. Our expectations of response from others including our close relative.
6. Our expectation of result from our action.
7. Changes in our environment.
8. Emotion lie anger, argument, disagreement.
9. Any imaginary change (called worry)
10. Loss in relationship due to death.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF STRESS:

1. Self – disinterest, lack of concentration, anger,
Emotional, Disturbance.
2. Feeling of tiredness, Disturbed sleep, depression, and restlessness.
3. Blood Pressure, heart attack, and increased heartbeat stroke.
4. Digestion problems, Respiratory problems, thyroid gland
Malfunction.
5. Skin allergy. Decreased resistance to infections.
WHAT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND:
1. Our body has tremendous ability for adopting itself to change. The
Stress caused by our routine life style is temporary.
2. With awareness we can make our self to accept the change.
3. Our worry is only our imaginary and a mental horror picture created by u
s.
4. Our present condition is not permanent. It changes.
5. We are responsible for our stress.
6. Stress relief comes from simple action.
In this modern world both men and women spend portion of their time at work plac
e. Target oriented job, project time schedule, environment, and work culture cau
ses stress and anxiety. By under standing the reasons for their stress and takin
g action in time one can not only overcome stress but also covert negative facto
rs to positive factors to bring happiness in their life.

STRESS AT WORK PLACE

We accept a job for getting more money or a position. Many times we are
not aware of the pressures of work and work environment. Stress at work place is
defined as physical and emotions responses to these factors.
CAUSES:
1. Need to complete a set target with in a time limit
2. Need to adjust with others.
3. Responses from customers.
4. Continuous and monotonous work.
5. Working environment.
6. Physical problems.
EFFECTS:
1. Migraine headache.
2. Emotional upsets.
3. Loss of concentration in work.
4. Strain in relationship.
5. Abuse of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.
EFFECTS ON MANAGEMENT:
1. High medical cost.
2. High staff turnover.
3. Reduced Productivity.
4. Labour problem.
5. Less Profit.

ACTION YOU CAN TAKE:

1. Clearly understand your work and management expectation from you.
2. Know your office culture.
3. Adjust your habits to the work culture and environment.
4. Understand our stress can be due to imaginary events.
5. whenever you get leisure time take action on stress release like exercis
e, music, meditation, breathing awareness, drinking water, eating nutritious foo
d, talking to friends on non work topics, expressing thanks, giving blessings, o
r even singing. Do not smoke or drink.
6. Visualize your goal and the pleasure of achievement.
7. Make changes in your environment wherever possible.
Stress Relief through awareness
1. Breathing awareness
2. anger management
3. relationship Management
4. peaceful sleep
5. regular exercise
6. Dosage of laughter
7. relaxing music
8. Avoiding Drug abuse.
9. Goal setting.

BREATHING AWARENESS
Breathing is a continuous process in our body from our birth until our death. No
rmally we breathe 12 to 14 times per minute when we are awake and about 6 to8 ti
mes per minute when we are in sound sleep. In children the pace of breathing is
more.

Breathing supports our overall health. It improves the functioning and e

fficiency of our heart and lungs. It balances our emotions. It carries our life
force energy called prana.

WHENEVER YOU TIRED, STRESSED, ANGERED, IRRITATED, FOLLOW THESE STEPS:

1. Close your eyes and start paying attention your breath. Feel the air you
inhale and the air you exhale. Feel the cold fresh air entering your nostrils a
nd the warm air that comes out.
2. Count your breaths. Do the counting in the reverse order. Count from 50,
49, 48….until 1 and be aware of your breathing with every count.

ANGER MANAGEMENT
As a human being most of us get angry some time or other. By understanding the r
easons for our anger and taking a few steps, we can covert our anger into a tool
for success. Anger if not managed in younger age, becomes unavoidable habit pat
tern as you grow older.
CAUSES:
1. We expect to receive something from others. It can be love, money, suppo
rt, appreciation, etc. if we don’t get it we get angry.
2. Failing health also leads to anger.
ANALYSE YOUR ANGER:
1. One of the principles of life is that what we give is what we receive. I
f we give love we get love. If we give respect we get respect. If we appreciate
other we get appreciation. If we give honest work we get promotions. Just think
a minute whether you are giver or receiver there is more happiness in giving.
2. Our anger on one may be the result of our irritation on others. Do you p
ass on your anger to more than one person?
3. Our health is our hands. Others are not responsible for the same. Think
whether you get angry on others expecting that will solve your problems.
TIPS TO MANAGE ANGER WHEN IT ARIES:
1. Wash your face with cold water.
2. Drink a glass of cold water.
3. Concentrate on your breath.
4. Eat a chocolate.
5. Count one to hundred.
PEACEFUL SLEEP
The major problem faced by many executives is irregular time of sleep. When the
world sleeps, they are awake and active. When the world is awake in daytime, the
y are asleep. The nature of call center jobs or the IT profession changes their
routine and duration of sleep. This affects their health, work efficiency, eatin
g habits, and relationship with family members.
UNDERSTANDING SLEEP:
Total hours of sleep required vary from person to person. Some may need only 6 h
ours of sleep. Some may need 8 hours. Some people complain that they sleep “only
” five or six hours each night. Five or six hours of sleep are all they need mos
t of the time.
LIST OF ACTION FOR GOOD SLEEP TO REDUCE STRESS:
Inform your family members of your routine sleeping time.
1. Take a warm bath (avoid cold shower) at night
2. Drink warm milk
3. Listen to music for five minutes.
4. sleep on a firm bed
5. Keep regular bed time hours.
LIST OF ACTIONS TO BE AVOIDED:
Avoid coffee, tea, alcohol and smoking. Alcohol might help you to get sl
eep, but it result in disturbed sleep and morning hangovers.
Avoid more noise
Avoid argument and anger.
If you are unable to sleep, get up from the bed, do any activity like reading, l
istening to music, writing, etc. try not to worry about not getting sleep. Our b
ody gets adjusted automatically to the routine.
REGULAR EXERCISE
To be happy, healthy and stress free it is necessary to do exercise regularly. A
regular workout makes you active, flexible, and attentive besides increasing yo
ur ability to face stress efficiently. Lack of sufficient exercise is associated
with heart disease, obesity, joint and spinal disk problems, fatigue, muscular
tension and depression. Regular aerobic exercise, even for 20 minutes daily, red
uces your chances of getting heart attack, high blood pressure, and stroke.

HERE ARE FEW TIPS FOR STARTERS:

1. Only regular exercise gives result. Fix a time and duration and do your
exercise. Make it a habit like brushing your teeth.
2. Consult a health care specialist or exercise trainer before starting a r
egular exercise at home or at gym.
3. Maintain a daily exercise record for duration and type of exercise.
4. Take few minutes rest after exercise
5. Drink plenty of water or juice before, during and after your exercise.

DOSAGE OF LAUGHTER
Laughter is one of the most economical and the best medicine for stress relief.
Laughter increases two hormones in our body, called nor adrenaline and coristal.
These hormones reduce our stress and increase our enthusiasm.
BENEFITS:
The following are the benefits of laughter
1. Instant relaxation and stress relief.
2. Stimulates our heart and blood circulation.
3. Increase the level of endorphins, which in turn reduces the intensity of
pain.
4. Increase self confidence.
5. Laughter brings you more friends.
HOW TO CULTIVATE LAUGHTER FOR STRESS REDUCTION:
1. Develop a sense of humor in life.
2. Watch funny movies.
3. Read and remember funny jokes.
4. Enjoy others joke.
5. Share the jokes with friends and relatives without hurting their feeling
s.
“DO NOT LAUGH AT OTHERS AND HURT THEIR FEELINGS.”

RELAXING MUSIC
Listening to music does wonder to reduce stress and create an instant change in
mood. The rhythm in the music calms our mind. It is a great healer. Music activa
tes our right brain and all the seven chakras especially with certain tunes and
frequencies. Playing music in the background while we are working reduces work s
tress considerably.
Since music therapy influence both psychological and psychological processes in
our body and mind, it has become an important alternative in the practice of str
ess and anxiety related disorders, music therapy provides a stimulus for relaxat
ion.
The following guidelines will maximize the effectiveness of the music for you.
1. Please note that everyone has different tastes in music. Listen to the m
usic that you feel comfortable with and which you like the most. It could be fil
m songs or classical music or even rock music.
2. Sing any song. It need not match the way the original was exactly perfor
med. Sing any where any time. Singing gives you instant stress relief and happin
ess.
3. Play a tune in your musical instrument or sing along or do both.
4. Scientist believes that effect of loud and live music reduces stress imm
ediately.
5. Put on a loud music while taking bath. Put on a low soothing music befor
e sleeping.
“Carry a walkman while walking or jogging.”

AVOIDING DRUG ABUSE

The starting point of drug abuse is inquisitiveness, compulsion by others, stres
s, and health problems. Once having tried it, an individual may not be able to c
ontrol the extent to which he or she continues the use of drugs. It becomes an a
ddiction. You loose control over your body and mind leading to serious action is
taken by you or others around you. Drug addiction becomes an irrecoverable stre
ss factors in your life.

PSYCHOLOGICAL RISKS:
1. Hallucinations.
2. Anxiety and depression.
3. Violent behavior.
4. Sense of distance.
5. Meaningless repetitive moments.

PHYSICAL RISKS:
1. Increased heart rate and blood pressure.
2. Sleeplessness / insomnia.
3. Tremors.
4. Loss of weight.
5. Accidents.

HEALTH RISKS:
1. Convulsions.
2. Stroke.
3. Brain damage.
4. Heart attack.
5. Impotency.
6. Sudden death

SOCIAL RISKS:
1. Loss of interest in friends, relatives, and other people.
2. Loss of interest in work.
3. Loss of touch with reality.
4. Avoidance by others.
5. Loss of respect.
ACTION YOU CAN TAKE:
1. Say “no to drugs” on first offer.
2. Confide to your friends.
3. Confide to your parents and relatives.
4. Never carry the guilty feeling.
5. Go to a de¬-addiction center.

SMOKING:
Through cigarette smoking is less harmful than drugs, it affects health. The nic
otine in the tobacco causes addiction. It becomes very difficult to stop smoking
. The tar and carbon monoxide in cigarettes increase the chance of lung cancer,
bronchial disorders and heart diseases.

You can do the following to avoid the harmful effects of smoking:

1. Say “no” to your friends when they offer you a cigarette.
2. Never purchase a pack.
3. Even if you have to buy one purchase always only a single cigarette.
4. Try smoking half of the cigarette only.
5. Avoid smoking in y our house and in your work place.
6. Seek the help of a de-addiction expert.

GOAL SETTING
What do Bill gates of Microsoft
Narayana murthy of Infosys,
Premji of Wipro,
Ratan Tata of Tata Automobiles,
Rahul Bajaj of Bajaj Auto, have in common? All of them work for 12 to 14 hours a
day without getting tired of their work. Each of them has a goal and vision for
their company’s growth. This makes them not to get stressed even after putting
physical and mental efforts for long duration.
Tour Goal can be
To get promotion
To get more money
To get recognition.
To get respect.
To get love.
To get any material comfort.
To get knowledge.
To maintain good relationship.
Set your goal within a time frame. Your goal could read, “I want to become the v
ice president of the company within 4 years”. “I want to become a director withi
n 5 years”. “I want to get an increase of 50% in my take home pay”. “I want to p
urchase a car or a house”. “I want to get married within a year”.
What ever be your goal, write it down, preferably in colour paper and ca
rry it with you always. Read it daily. The efforts you put today and the knowled
ge gained by you is the stepping – stone for your goal achievement.

STRESS RELEIF IN MINUTES

Most of us not take action to reduce our stress until the stress overtakes us. T
he excuse given is lack of time. Even if you have one minute to spare and take a
ction you can be stress free.

Here are some tips:

1. One minute to spare:
Close you eyes.
Take a deep breath.
Breathe out making sound-“ohm”
Repeat ten times.
Or Make sound of English vowels – A, E, I, O, U, loudly.

2. Three minutes to spare:

Take your walk men.
Listen to your favorite song.
Instrumental music will be better.

3. Five minutes to spare:

Move you’re both hands forward and backward 10 times.
Jump – 20 times.
Bend and touch your knees – 5 times.
Tilt your neck to left and right 10 times.

4. Ten minutes to spare:

Sit in a calm place.
Concentrate on your breathing.
Practice thoughtlessness.
Do it in open place.

5. Fifteen minute to spare:

Go out.
Do any of these, jogging, skipping, exercise biking, cycling, or just walking.

6. Twenty minutes to spare:

Do reiki on each part of your body, if you have learned.
Do chakra balancing.

7. Thirty minutes to spare:

Join any team sports.
Get a friend to join for tennis, table tennis, foot ball or badminton.
Do aerobic, Do swimming, Spend time with your relative and friends.
STRESS RELIEF THE ASIAN WAY
Meditation
Chakras
Mudras
Pranayam
Surya namaskar
Relaxation
Fengshui