Stress and Relaxation

Stress and Relaxation

‎"It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy that makes happiness."
- Charles Sprugeon

Stress - some real and beyond our control and some self-created. Physical and mental - leading us all towards the breaking point. Honestly how else can we define stress, a word that even my 12 year old son uses when he is worried about completing his homework. 

Times change, we change and our needs change and so should our priorities in life. Yet being creatures of habit, we fail to look into and evaluate our life decisions, fearful of leaving our comfort zone. Every now and then we need to look into the reasons that initiated our decision. 

Stress is a result of the imbalance in our lives. In modern times, most of us take on more than we can chew. Just surviving, making ends meet, and getting the household running in a smooth order requires all your energy and more. 

Some stress are beyond our control , we do what we have to do , even if it takes toll on our body and mind. Yet, it is in our hands how to cope with the stress. Physical stress requires rest -  it is the mental pressure that gets us. Our insistence in taking on more than we can handle, wanting to cram in as much as we can in our limited time, and of course worrying about the outcomes, all drive us towards the brink of breakdown. There is no rule book for handling stress - we all handle it differently. Having a very low stress level, I find the following tips keep me grounded to reality and help in making my life decisions.

Streamline your life by simplifying your life. Take stock of your present day to day living and eliminate all the activities that don't add value to your life. Throwout the fluff, the superfluous, and hang on to the basics. Every activity in our life can be simplified. 

Perfection is a myth : We are obsessed to having a perfect life - clean and neat house, kids in sports, music, well paid jobs, nice cars and big houses with manicured lawns and perfect vacation in exotic locales. But think about it, is this what you want or what you were taught to believe is the ideal life?

Learning to Relax : Some people relax watching T.V., zoning out, others reading books. And still others by going for a run or a walk. Whatever be the case, we all need to find an activity that unwinds us - everyday. Cleansing your mind everyday of the toxic waste of the day is as essential as breathing, yet we tend to leave it all for the weekend.

Slow down :  Life is short for sure, but you don't need to cram your day with activities to lead a full life.  Leave some space to just breathe, to just sit back and feel life flow by. We live under the fallacy that we have to go places to enjoy life - life is in the moment - in the now.

Don't over think : This is one advice I give myself everyday. Sometimes it is just better to dive in straight. So long as you know the reason for the action or the decision you are taking, so long as it matches with your present goals in life, it should be fine. There are no guarantees in life, in fact there is no guarantee or warranty period in life- so go for it.