Stress is an elusive concept. No one knows exactly what its causes and remedies are. All we know are its manifestations. It manifests itself in various ways in the form of increased heartbeat, faster breathing, faster sweating, cramps, etc. Those physiological responses are the body’s combat mechanism for dealing with the damage that stress can cause.
Various causes induce stress. They range from the inability to study well to achieve goals to the inability to cope with the expectations of others. The mismatch between one’s ability, expectation, and achievement is the cause of stress. There are mental causes of stress. A distorted view of reality falls under mental causes. Even a misconception of a rope as a snake can cause stress in oneself. Poor health, hormonal imbalance, and physical ailments are all biological causes. The expectation of society and its norms, as we perceive it, falls into the category of social causes. Fear of what others would think can cause a lot of stress. Stress cannot be treated when its cause is unknown. Finding the true causes of stress is not easy. But there are general mechanisms for dealing with them.
Resorting to healthy lifestyles is a general way to reduce stress in the long term. If the person is in good physical shape, the stress that any cause can impose on him will be minimal. Eating balanced meals, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep are the essential ingredients for better health and stress prevention. Prepare steamed, boiled and grilled foods for better digestion and health. Avoid using fried, unnatural and junk foods. Enhance the amount of fiber in food for easy digestion and excretion. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Minimize the use of caffeine, sugar, salt, etc. Drink enough water to keep your body functioning regularly and digestion perfect. Food eaten in excess can make your body’s environment bad for stress. Cold fruit juices will be relaxing. There is a connection between food and mood. Choose foods that give you a good mood. Also, eating should be relaxing.
Exercising regularly keeps you fit and healthy. Ladies may prefer dancing as art and exercise. Swimming is a healthy exercise. The so-called “happiness hormone” (endorphin) generated during exercise works as an antidote to stress. Exercise reduces muscle tension. Helps the body intake and use of more oxygen. That in turn will regulate your mood and can improve overall muscle flexibility. Yoga is much more than an exercise, if it is done systematically. Make it a routine habit to participate in singing songs or whistling tunes that can bring one to a state of mental composure. Listening to soothing music will also help. When you laugh, all six hundred muscles in your body move. Laughter can reduce stress.
Meditation can offset the effect of stress. It makes one relax and will counteract the effect of stress. Daily meditation builds resistance to stress and its causes. Mediation is not the process of concentrating anything or chanting anything at all, but a state of not thinking, absolute not thinking. In the process of meditation, one should let their thoughts come and go incessantly in such a way that they calm down over time. That is the correct approach to meditation. Resisting a thought will make it stronger and trying to avoid it would be difficult. In a perfect meditative state, there will be no thought process in one’s mind: it will be a compound state. Some meditation coaches advise chanting a mantra and obsessing over the breath during the initial phase of meditation to escape the many unregulated thoughts that come in. There is nothing wrong with using the mantra in the transition phase, but practicing meditation without any mantra is the best course.
Sleep brings us rest and health. Regular and healthy sleep will reduce the chances of causing stress. Maintain a regular bedtime and ensure a comfortable sleeping environment such as ventilation, fresh air, optimum temperature, a firm, supportive bed, etc. while lying down. Avoid stimulants like alcohol. A full stomach at night can cause poor sleep. Stay active during the day to get a good night’s sleep. Sleep deficiency is a problem. When you don’t sleep well, the chemicals in your brain are depleted and that will cause emotional disturbances. Engaging in activities that bring pleasure or relaxation is a good solution. Also, love the job you are meant to do to earn money or choose the job you love, to minimize stress.
Laughter plays a great role in getting rid of stress. It is a wonderful medicine for the muscles in your body. It can enlighten your mind and make you happy. Telling a joke when you’re upset can help you paddle your way out of stress. Even faking a smile will help. Laughter reduces stress-inducing hormones: nephrin and cortisol. They reduce unreasonable anxiety about the future that can cause you stress. Remember that the future is indeterminate. You cannot alter it. But keep yourself well prepared to face any possible eventuality as a soldier who keeps preparing for a war at any moment. When you get into trouble, use the situation to develop your inner strength to deal with a similar situation in the future.
In essence, use every adversity as an opportunity to build your capacity. In every adversity, lies a new beginning. Intentionally avoiding negative thoughts can do wonders to reduce stress. Focusing on positive thoughts is the best way to avoid negative thoughts.
