The Working Professionals Guide to Reducing Stress

 

In todays hectic world, dealing with stress and anxiety have become the norm. In fact, according to a recent study, 89% of Indias population have reported that they suffer from chronic stress. This is higher than the global average of 86%. What further complicates matters in India is the fact that 75% of respondents said they would not feel comfortable talking to a professional about stress. While social stigma may have something to do with this, the high cost of consulting a medical professional could also deter people from seeking help¹.

Dealing with stress and anxiety is always easy, but there are a few things that we can do to reduce some of the stress in our day-to-day lives. As working professionals, everything from our morning commute to deciding what to eat for lunch or meeting tight deadlines could send us into a spiral of negative thoughts. Heres a look at a few easy ways in which we can deal with the little stresses of life better:

Exercise regularly

After a long, stressful day, you may not want to hit the gym or go for a run, but exercising regularly can do wonders for your physical and mental health. The main reason why exercise is so beneficial is because it releases endorphins (or feel-good hormones). After a tiring workout, you might feel something known as a runners high, all thanks to your endorphins. Additionally, when you exercise often, you may start to feel better about yourself and your health. This will increase your confidence and further improve your overall mental state.

Listen to music

Getting stuck in traffic or battling heavy crowds to get on a train to office or back home every day can seriously add up to your daily stress. To make the entire experience slightly less difficult, plug in your earphones and listen to music. Studies have shown that the simple act of listening to music can boost our mood and improve our well-being².

Regulate your caffeine intake

Most of us like to begin our day with a piping hot cup of tea or coffee. In fact, its an everyday ritual for most of us. But downing a cup of coffee every time we feel tired, bored or irritated could be doing us far more harm than good. Tea, coffee, energy drinks and most aerated beverages contain the stimulant caffeine, which is extremely addictive and can cause mental and physical dependency.

Depending on how much caffeine you consume during the day, you may be able to elevate your mood slightly or end up in a situation where you feel good for a short while before you crash from the caffeine rush and end up craving more caffeine. These mood swings will take a toll on your overall health and cause more stress. While you dont need to cut caffeine out of your diet entirely, it might be good to stick to just one or two small cups through the day.

Socialise with family and friends

Receiving social support from friends and family during testing times can be invaluable. After all, man is a social animal. Being involved in a social group gives our life a purpose, fulfils our need to belong, and boosts our self-worth. Spending time with your children and pets if you have any  is known to aid the release of oxytocin, a natural stress reliever. This effect is popularly known as  and befriend and is antithetical to the fight-or-flight response.

Laugh it off

You might have read somewhere that laughing is good for health. The truth is, it almost impossible to experience anxiety while laughing. In fact, laughing is a great way to combat anxiety. Laughter is known to relieve stress response and muscle tension during difficult situations. Also, the act of laughing can help improve your mood and immune system. A study revealed that cancer patients who were part of a laughter therapy group experienced less stress as compared to others who didnt receive the intervention3. If you dont want to look odd by laughing without purpose, try watching a comedy show or simply hang out with your funny friends.

Eat right

There is a very strong link between our feelings of stress and anxiety and the food we eat. While a lot of people tend to eat when they feel stress, when most dont realise is that what they eat could help reduce their stress or cause it to multiply. When you eat whole grains, vegetables and beans, you consuming complex carbohydrates. Our bodies take much longer to metabolise the energy from these foods, which helps regulate our blood sugar level and helps us feel calm. On the other hand, enjoying fatty foods or items with lots of processed sugar gives us an instant sugar high, followed by a terrible crash that causes us to feel slow, lethargic and stressed.

Keep your loved ones protected, financially

Life is often stressful due to its unpredictability. You never know when something might happen to you and your family could be left struggling. If you often find yourself worrying about how your family will manage their finances in the future, you can purchase a good life insurance policy for yourself and lay your worries to rest. A life insurance policy serves as a contract of sorts between the policyholder and the insurance provider. The provider promises to pay a pre-decided amount of money to the policyholders nominee in the event that something happens to the insured individual. While we understand that money can never make up for an individuals loss, a good life policy can definitely help your family financially while they deal with a difficult time. It will also help you worry less about your familys future without you.

Remember, feeling stressed out or anxious is something that you have to hide from others. Its okay to seek help when you need it. Until your ready for that, you can follow the above tips to try and reduce the impact that stressful situations have on your life.

References 

¹https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/89-per-cent-of-indias-population-suffering-from-stress-most-dont-feel-comfortable-talking-to-medical-professionals/articleshow/64926633.cms

²https://time.com/5254381/listening-to-music-health-benefits/

³https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4439472/

ARN: ED/10/19/16215