First of all, do you know what stress is? Stress is too much to do and too little time or energy. When we have too much to do with not enough time and energy, then we get stressed.
Now, how do we increase our energy levels?
- The right amount of food – not too much and not too little.
- The right amount of sleep. 6 – 8 hours, not more, not less.
- Learning some breathing exercises – this increases your energy.
- A few minutes of meditation can relieve all types of stress. If you meditate in the morning and evening for 15 – 20 minutes, it is good enough. It will keep you going.
There’s always a first time for everything, but this is not the first time you are stressed! Look back in your life at all those moments, when you felt this is it! This is the end of the world! But you sailed through those moments and you are still alive and kicking. Remember, you have faced many challenges in the past and you have overcome them all. So, have the confidence that I can handle this challenge as well.
Broaden your vision! Things happen through a different law in the Universe. You might have noticed that you had been very good to people, and still, some people suddenly became your enemies. Your friends became your enemies. And the opposite happens too: someone for whom you have not done any big favour they help you when you really need it. So, friendship or animosity happens through some special law of the Universe, and it is called karma. When your times are good, your worst enemy behaves like a friend, and when your time is bad, then your best friend behaves like an enemy. So, understand things from a bigger dimension. And have patience, that this time will also pass.
Wait – this too shall pass. Sometimes we feel like giving up; we are frustrated. It is because of stress. That time do not take any decisions. You may regret it. Come back to yourself first. Giving yourself time to come back will help relieve the stress also.
Take a walk, sit and observe the sunset…maybe in some urban areas, you don’t get to see the sunset because of tall buildings all around. But being with nature to the extent possible, playing with kids etc. will also help. Unfortunately, we simply sit on the couch, watch television and keep eating junk food. This has taken a toll on the health of the society. We need to change our ways for a healthy society.
And finally, stop stress before it starts! There is a saying “You can’t learn archery in the war field”. You have to learn archery before you get into that position. So, at that moment when you are stressed, it is more difficult to do things to get relief, but you have to do something before so that you don’t go to that level at all, you don’t get stressed.
So what would help get rid of stress is to change in the way you behave, change in your food habits, and change in the way you perceive things in life, your communication ability, and your ability to withstand criticism and take criticism… generally, the outlook towards life itself makes a difference.
The cornerstone of the Art of Living Happiness Program, the Sudarshan KriyaTM technique has helped millions around the world to reduce stress, to get better rest and to improve the quality of life. Studies conducted on four continents and published in peer-reviewed journals, including at Yale and Harvard, have demonstrated a comprehensive range of benefits from reduction in cortisol, the stress hormone, to increasing overall life satisfaction.
