Month: September 2015

Very recently my friend from work, who is not very old, just around in her late twenties, in fact, was diagnosed with diabetes. It was not like she had a blood-sugar problem in her girlhood days. Also, she follows a stringent diet and is very careful of what she eats. But in a dialogue with her doctor she learnt that very unknowingly she has succumbed to the whims of stress.

We often find ourselves embroiled with needless worries. Going through unending bouts of anxiety, sleeplessness, and fatigue, over-thinking, lack of concentration loss of appetite, and also the gain of appetite (in many cases), plague us.  But the root cause of all the apprehension is nothing but stress. The poisonous tentacles of which, grip most of us.

Stress is defined as a state of being under mental or emotional pressure owing to issues relating to finances, work, or relationships. We hereby give you just a few ways of combating stress, by relaxing the body.

Relaxing the body

1)   Exercise– one must spend at least 30 to 45 mins everyday exercising. One can part-take in a number of activities including

a)    Yoga – Where one can centre themselves, using a hoard of breathing, and flexing, and meditative techniques. It helps restore calm within an individual. It is a very useful exercise technique to restore concentration, and curb anxiety.

b)   Running – It helps (just like all exercises) to release endorphins that are important to inculcate positive thought and action. You can also keep upping your limit of the day, which will help better the ability to take on to challenges.

c)    Swimming – An interesting way to relax where all the negative thoughts can submerge in water. Water indeed has a very calming impact on the body.

d)   Group games – Will also help alleviate your social skills.

e)    Hiking– spending time with nature will help you calm your stressed selves. Nature acts as a natural decompression to the mind and the body.

2)   Taking a massage – this may cost an arm and a leg, but it is well worth the money has it helps you soothe your nerves well and unknot all those knots in your back.

3)   Eat Well – it is very important to regulate your diet when stressed. Ensure you’re eating a healthy breakfast, followed by lunch, dinner and a healthy snack in between. Avoid skipping meals. Also, remember to keep the sugar and the caffeine at bay.

4)   Incorporate herbs and stress relieving tea’s in your diet – infuse Chamomile, or passionflower, and lavender. These have a very calming effect on the body, and also help those suffering from insomnia.

5)   Use a decompressor – when stressed it is important to take some time out and unwind. Use a hot bag or cold compresses to calm your tired nerves. If you don’t have access to any of the above use a hair-drier to render heat to a portion that aches more. You can also deep-freeze a wet towel for fifteen minutes if you don’t have a cold compress.

We as humans are extremely fascinated by the idea of relocating from the place of our birth or where our family lives. We do not want any restriction imposed by our family (for our betterment) to mar our career prospects. But when most of us actually go abroad, we feel trapped! And yearn to take the next flight back home. Seriously wonder why are we gripped by such insecurity?

Well, at least in India, most of us are raised in an environment, where Ramu, the household help is trained to greet you with a refreshing glass of freshly squeezed juice when you arrive home. Our family members lovingly await our arrival home even in the dead of the night, to see that you don’t go hungry to bed.

But what happens when you take that flight out! All the love and attention one garners over the years disappears in thin air!

However, not all is lost! Life gives you the opportunity to feed your persona with the necessary edge and show you to the vitalities of freedom. But how do we do that? We are already fed with unending pre-conceived notions on the ways of the world. Perhaps it’s time to consider changing our thought process, and revising our views on the same.

• Allow curiosity to get the better of you. The more you inquire, the more you learn, and that is precisely how you get things done. Don’t forget that your education empowers you to suss the best out of life.
• Shed all pre-conceived notions. Develop your own viewpoints on what is actually good and bad on the basis of what you feel, see, hear, smell, touch, or taste around you.
• An independent being, accepts them as who they really are. Their strengths are incessantly being strengthened. They strive to better themselves at other skills too.
• Being independent also means one has their own thought process and are not afraid of going against the ways of the world, as they believe in what they think, they believe that they can make the difference, and they actually go the extra mile to prove what they believe.
• You do something because you genuinely feel that you should! Not because you’ve got to follow the bandwagon. And you do what you do, giving it your best shot.
• Being emotionally independent is important too. As life moves on, people you may have been emotionally attached to (or dependent on), move onwards. Hence. you are your own very best support to rely on emotionally right till the end.
• It may take a few odd jobs to notch your career to the high you have dreamed of. Take the shot, without being afraid of what people think of what you do or earn. At least you are not depending on your parents/guardian for any financial support.
• Save as much money as you can. Every copper counts. This is a step to being financially independent in your retirement years.

During my girlhood years, my cousins dreamed of living abroad, living life King size, and making oodles of money. However little did they know their dreams would be so shattered, as they couldn’t quite survive? On delving into the very crux of the problem, I realized the root cause of them not being able to fulfill their ambition was owing to the inability to submit themselves to independence.

Sometimes we are so caught up in the vicious circle of life where we completely forget about ourselves. Unforseen events, and expenses get the better of us, giving but a little time to bring our dizzying minds to a complete haul. Oh! If only we had the twenty-fifth hour! But that is not possible! So it rests on our shoulders to snap out of routine and give ourselves the ‘me’ time.

This may sound a bit bizarre, and very selfish, but me time is IMPORTANT. It imperative to love ourselves. Life can be very harsh, and people around us can be very insensitive too. They leave no stones unturned to pin us down, ridiculing us like scrap. And when that happens, our self-esteem tends to take a detour and go downhill. When this happens we become our own worst enemies.

Mentioned below, are some of the ways one can use to snap out of this negation and notch new heights.

1)     Distance yourself from those who make you feel low –

There are lots of people, who have the ability to pull you down. They can rubbish you to the face. Well, you really don’t need to be around such people.

2)     Take some me time out doing nothing!

This may sound absolutely strange but spending time with yourself will help you reflect back on your flaws and deal with the same in a mature manner. Also, you must bear in mind that it is good to make mistakes. It gives you an opportunity to perfect the flaws. Strive to be a perfectionist. However, you must keep fright at bay, and boost your confidence levels.

3)     Believe in your abilities–

There is a lot one can do with the talent and the ability that they have. No one is less! So believe in that and forge ahead with confidence. There is nothing that one cannot do. The lord puts you through tough times so that you emerge even stronger. And also because the universe believes that you can solve the problem and pass with flying colours.

4)     Focus and go out of your way to be kind and loving to others –

Everything comes full circle when you are kind and loving. It means you are generous, loving, fulfilling and inclusive all the same. It also compels you to understand someone before you judge him or her.

5)     Loosen up a little, add quirk to your life –

People who are way too serious are not liked at all, this in turn will pin you down further. Become light-hearted, sometimes that will help you solve problems with ease too. A smile will sail you through the day.

6)     Add some colour–

Sometimes when you feel down and under, you can lift yourself with the way you dress. Put on bright clothing; add some bling to your attire. Doing something out of the box will certainly quirk you up and lift your spirit.

Do remember that only when you love and respect yourself will others love you back and respect you. Don’t become someone’s trashcan. You as an individual are worth a lot more!

(Can come under anger management, and also under the practical uses, importance, and advantages of being positive)

Yesterday ended on a wonderful note! It was a perfect day that concluded with the ideal evening, complete with sumptuous dinner and good night’s rest.

BUT

What if you overslept; well past your crazily screaming alarm on a working day? The day has just begun spelling TROUBLE with a capital T. Things go wrong in rapid succession.

• Imagine being caught by the tenacious clutches of the 9 ‘o’ clock traffic jam right outside the by lane of your residence! You are gripped by frustration!
• To add to your woes, you are late for that important meeting, and incessant calls from your boss’s assistant irritates you, with her/him giving graphic details of your angry bosses expression; worrying you endlessly.
• In spite of the ruthless traffic, you make it to work, and the gossip brewing is on unpleasant staff lay-off.
• Much to your dislike you are compelled to make that presentation with that annoying, colleague who you just cannot stand. You still pull on holding tightly on to that scream that you just cannot contain any longer! This isn’t it!
• In the conference room, you have earned some unwanted glares and snarls as the laptop just decides go haywire at the opportune moment! The day’s wrapped on a rather terrible note and your face is wet with tears.

So let’s analyse this. Negative emotions are hurled at you at rocket fuelled pace. And maintaining balance seems like a walk on thin ice! How does one manage emotions such as these?

The only answer to such a situation is, BEING POSITIVE! It is the only way of handling a situation when life throws the lemons at you! When one is positive, the perspective changes to something more lucrative and purposeful all the same. Don’t forget negativity multiplies while positivity simply adds.

• Tune into a groovy and peppy number, especially when running late to work. Music will lead frustration on to an all time new low. It will also help you buy time and cool off before you come in terms with the monstrosities meted out by your boss.
• Ensure that you don’t take any calls while driving. Nothing can be more important at that time. So your focus and attention must be on the road. This also helps keep the frustration of incessant calls at bay.
• Keep away from all the negative conversation at work. Spend the time looking up possible ideas for the next challenging project. Charm your way using your intelligence, time, and positivity to the advantage of leading the next project, instead of you actually being laid-off.
• The ability to work with your rival only makes you a better individual, as you will be regarded as more tolerant. It will also help you step up the corporate hierarchy, as you are compelled to perform a notch higher than he/she does. So love your rivals! They are unknowingly there for your better good.
• Glitches with your presentation! Well! there’s no better time to do that formal corporate presentation with your own personal touch. Use your presence of mind to act out a situation you’d like to explain, or use your wit to win over people in that conference room. Always remember life moves on!

As we wrap the blog we learn, that it is very important to center oneself to be able to combat any critical situation. And positivity is the key to achieving that center.