Bust That Stress - Now and Forever!

Stress is related to low energy levels. So basically if you’re able to keep your energy levels high, you’re well on your game to keeping away stress and all the blues that come along with it. The rules are simple but maybe not so easy coz we might be caught up in our 9 to 7 routines running after that elusory carrot. It’s best to start where we can and then slowly incorporate the changes in our lives. We all mostly know what but the trick is the “how” and to actually doing it. Here are some tips that could get you started.

1.    Get sufficient rest and sleep

Your body and mind are natural elements that are created to work well as long they go along with nature’s laws. When we start digressing from these laws, the body and mind start struggling to keep up. They usually have a threshold for that, beyond which, if pushed, they start failing which is where the medical conditions, ailments, chronic aches and pains start coming into the picture.

One of the basic laws is that everything requires adequate maintenance and repair work. Sleep and rest are vital to keep your brain function and all body systems running properly. Lack of these are directly related to lack of ability to learn, make good decisions, regulate emotions, attention span and lack of motivation. Some of the disorders linked are depression, obesity, diabetes, mood swings, heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure... you get the picture. Now, for the tips:

• Keep fixed timings for your sleep
• Shutting your eyes and thinking about your problems is not counted as rest. Instead, meditating or listening to a relaxation audio serves better.
• Train yourself to take 10-15 minute catnaps during the day.
• Be in natural surroundings like parks, dense green patches as much as possible. Maybe a morning brisk walk or run sans your iPod or phone.
• Take a break from your phone. You can keep it off at fixed times and encourage people to communicate through mails and messages.
• Travel to the hills or oceans frequently.

2.    Eat right

Cut down on junk and eat more of the healthy stuff. The less junk you eat the lesser you’ll appreciate or crave for it. So don’t worry about missing it. Results? Better skin and hair, brighter eyes, feeling of lightness and strange happiness, greater energy lasting through the day and mental clarity. Tips: 

• The less processed and more natural the food, the better it is. Sprouts, fruits, raw vegetable juices, dried fruits, seeds, nuts fall in this category. Next best are cooked grains and legumes, steamed or boiled veggies.
• Add more variety in your meals. For the base, apart from rice and wheat also use broken wheat, chia seeds, quinoa, cauliflower rice. Experiment with food combinations flavouring using herbs etc.
• Eat the right food combinations.
• Chew your food well, very well.
• Avoid or limit anything that’s even mildly addictive. Give nothing the right to have control over you.
• Sugar consumes your energy more than it provides and has innumerable health risks. Replace it with honey, jaggery, dates, figs, raisins, fruits etc.

3.    Drink enough fluids

 This is something every well-wisher of yours would have told you by now. Now this is how to do it:

• Drink about 3 litres of water every day. Drink from a bottle and make it your dearest possession. Keep is close to you 24 x 7 to know the measurement.
• To get those micronutrients plus a constant detox easy, sip on water infusions instead of plain water. Just add a few slices of lemon, cucumber, any edible green leaves/herbs or a non-pulpy fruit.
• Caffeinated drinks dehydrate you, stressing out your internal systems. Avoid them.
• Add plenty of juices (fruits and vegetable), soups, smoothies and milkshakes etc. to your diet.

4.    Exercise everyday

You not only end up looking like a star but feeling like one! Plus you drop the chances of serious and chronic ailments by about 50% on an average. Energy, strength and endurance of not only the body’s muscles but also of the brain are developed. Here the “how to”:

• Ideally a half to full hour whenever you can spare but at least 10 minutes of workout everyday will do the trick, as long as you do it every day.
• Go for a medium to high intensity workout of any style that appeals to you. Dance, zumba, yoga, walk or run.
• Pick up a hobby that you can train in like Tai Chi, dancing, a sport like badminton or a form of martial arts.
• Choose an active lifestyle. Use the stairs vs. the elevator, walk to the nearby grocery store and don’t shy away from DIY household chores.
• A tan from the sun is way better than low Vitamin D and calcium levels, which make you hunched or hobble as you walk with age. Choose grace over lighter skin.

5.    Take it light

Yourself, your life. What other people think or say about you.

Don’t take things personally. How other people respond to situations is mostly about who they are. Also news channels and media show news that shocks you and grabs your attention. They do it so that they can sell. Don’t believe them. There’s more positive than negative happening in this world. That’s why we’re all mostly safe and living normal lives around here. Follow your heart and your own truth and see happiness blossom in you and get infused in all those around you.

Try these and see your health and happiness quotient along with your overall quality of life go up by miles!