This is an era
where we are putting extra efforts to define, describe and
add adjectives to the word “busy”. Now there are
campaigns to differentiate an “old
busy” from a “new
busy”. There are other colloquial busy words
which are in use like “really busy”, “busy-busy”,
“very busy” “too busy” and others.
Corporations are working hard to invent new tools, processes
and gadgets to support the so called “new busy”.
It is hard to blame the individuals for these new definitions.
With a global outlook, today’s workforce is distributed
all over the world. With multiple time zones it is hard to
imagine a conference time which is not going to be in someone’s
wee hours or late night hours. A 40 hour work week is a history.
Global professional’s new friends and pets are
blackberries, iPhones, smartphones and laptops. These
pets are so loyal that their masters never leave them even
when they go to sleep or to a vacation. It is buzzing 24x7
all 365 days that the battery gets fatigued faster. This is
because today’s world is so competitive and there is
very less room for aspiring individuals to slack. This has
created tremendous amount of pressure on every individual
and at every level. Whether someone is a student or a professional
or a full-time mom, there is always a minimal amount of expectations.
So what is the real definition of stress?
Any situation which creates an expectation on an individual
is called stressor and an individual’s
reaction to handle a stressor is called “stress”.
In the days of yore, the stressors were primarily “physical”,
such as a threat to one’s life. Biologically, a human
body is built to provide a “fight or flight” response
for a “physical stress”. During this response
the body triggers many involuntary changes (secretions) within
the body to support the extra energy required to face that
situation. While such secretions are helpful to overcome a
temporary threat, a continual involuntary change to the body
is very harmful. Today most of the stress is “psychological”
in nature. However the body response is the same as the physical
stress.
While a short term stress has been linked
to anger, headache ,tiredness, short-term memory loss
and palpitation, a long term stress
is linked to high blood pressure (stroke), high cholesterol
(heart disease), musculoskeletal disorders, psychological
disorders (depression and burnout), workplace injury, suicide,
cancer, ulcer and weakened immunity function. Based
on the statistics stress related diseases contribute to 1
in 166 deaths in US every year. (The statistics for
other countries could not be verified).
There are various ways to manage your stress. There is plenty
of information available in the public domain which you can
read. However, many of the stress management information revolve
around the following Core themes:
• Energize yourself DAILY: While it is hard to
eliminate some of the stressors it is easy to energize your
body with regular exercises such as Yoga, Aerobics or Speed
walking. Do not forget that sleep is a great energizer. An
adequate amount of sleep can keep you alert and focused for
the next day.
• Take a work break PERIODICALLY WITHIN A DAY:
Whatever your routines are, at home or at work, take a break
from it periodically. Use the break to do what you like to
do, such as, listening to music, reading a book, watching
a movie, watching TV, a short nap, a phone call to your friend
or a chat with your buddy. (Keep an eye on the clock or set
an alarm to get back to your work :-)
• Take a vacation break REGULARLY: Plan your
vacation to change your environment settings. Most importantly
do not check your blackberry or smart phone for work emails
and do not take your work-related phone calls. If you had
to then do not consider it as a vacation break. Take another
break!
There is also a philosophical way to manage
one's stress. As Buddha preached “humans suffer because
they continually attach and crave for things that do not give
lasting happiness”. Altering once perception to life
can help reducing the stress. Don't miss to watch the following
video which can help you to take a philosophical perception
to life.
