While engrossed in work at home or in office, if we can be anchored in an inner calmness, it greatly helps. This needs developing and training Self-awareness.
Paramahansa Yogananda, the author of 'Autobiography of a Yogi', aptly describes this balanced state as being "Calmly Active & Actively Calm".
Some of the tell-tale signs of a rising stress level, are :
* Local tensing of muscles,
* Shallow and rapid breathing with some rise in pulse rate,
* Decrease in focus,
* Reduction in happiness level,
* A nagging feeling of moodiness, grumpiness, negativity and hyper-criticism against others or about life in general ,etc.
Whenever these happen, we can do some of these :
1. Take a break for 5 - 10 mins : This is investing time to eventually save time, because you will come back to work smarter,with more focus. Take deep breaths (abdominally i.e. diaphragmatically), stretch up, have a glass of water, or little fruit-juice or hot soup (avoid too much tea / coffee), tense body muscles and then relax, etc.
2. Exercise everyday : Before coming to office either intensely (i.e.much sweating) for 20 minutes, moderately (light sweating) for 30 mins, or gently (series of light stretches) for 40 mins. For people who have not had regular workouts, doing moderately is the best ; for those who choose to exercise gently everyday, moderate to intense workout twice a week are desirable, but while we can customize, regularity is always the key.
3. Enjoy your work : Bring your whole heart to it. To work only for salary is a kind of slavery to money, we must also work for joy and with creativity. While working, be sincere,but not serious. Keep smiling and do your best.
4. Manage your time well and prioritize : When with spouse/kids/parents, give your whole attention to them and while working in office, be focused on work, but have no resistance if you have to switch roles suddenly, say because of a phone-call. This living in 'now', and acceptance-driven gliding between roles, will create a dynamic work-life balance. Mis-management of time/the related work-life imbalance, and stress, feed on each other.
5. Mindful Eating : We become what we eat and think, so let us choose carefully what eatables/drinks we give our bodies and what thoughts to our minds. Choosing thoughts takes a long practice ; choosing foods also needs some mastery over habits hard-wired into our brains and the slavery to taste-buds, but with a healthy self-love and care, both are do-able. Never skip your breakfast-it's your most important meal everyday, but you can always make it as light as you want. Make your last meal of the day two hours before sleep. Eat fresh fruits, seasonal greens, sprouts, almonds, etc. Don't drink too much water with/immediately after the meals, but plenty an hour later. Drink a glass or two of water the first thing in the morning ; warm water is better. It is good to fast (for not more than a couple of days at a time) on fruit juice and water, 2-4 times every month.
6. Tame your Ego : We all have ego, it is our body-identified lower self-awareness. One can never be completely free from awareness of the self, but it can evolve from the small ' I ' which limits our consciousness to 'me' and 'mine', to the big ' I ' which includes all. Taming ego smoothens relationships. We don't need any self-mortification here, no need to give up our views - we don't have to become a door-mat or a 'vegetable', but we just need to respect others as we respect ourselves, and appreciate their point of view, while having courage to express ours, at a right time and in a right manner. Our behavior reflects our attitude ; our attitude reflects in turn the state or level of our consciousness.
7. Learn & Practice Yoga : Some Pranayama (Yogic breathing techniques to manage and balance the Prana or life force) followed by Meditation, will effectively manage stress like nothing else. Pray before and after meditation, and pray for others also.
Let us choose to be happy. Happy, healthy people create the ultimate competitive edge for any organization, any country. They also please our Maker!
Have a great day!
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