Music is such a wonder. It has evolved over the years from a time when love was the many splendoured thing to this point today where we actually have a song out there that holds the title of this article within its lyrics. Music as we know speaks to us in rhythm about the current tempo of the world. If we are now singing about stress, it means we truly are in trouble. A quick reflection into the daily conversations we have will reflect this very sentiment. Everywhere you go this word bombards you with its presence. It’s on the tip of almost every tongue young, old and everywhere in between. Students are stressed out about school, adults about work and family and the list is endless and the elders seem to be stressed out by the stresses of everyone else because suddenly a lot of them have found themselves the primary care givers to their grandchildren. Oh, this world isn’t being kind. They are probably sitting there thinking “Come on now, I’ve already been there and done that. How come I’m parenting again?”
The reality of this age is a higher level of stress. Statistics have shown that there has been a steady increase of lifestyle-related illnesses in the recent past and the number is continually growing at an alarming rate. When I look back at how our elders got through the stresses of life, I also wonder if the answer actually lies in their ability to cope better or were the times really that much more simple? Most of us have never really witnessed major catastrophe like wars and famines that were quite the common scene in the early days of our grandparents. To add to their troubles, resources were also scarce and technological development wasn’t advanced enough to bring rescue and supplies to their doorstep. So did development actually mess with our ability to cope?
Looking around now, we see a number of youngsters suffering from various stress-related disorders like heart disease, diabetes and even some forms of cancer. In this super-fast paced world we lack a few things that our ancestors had plenty of; plenty of fresh air devoid of the many pollutants we have today, exercise that was not an extra activity in the day like it is today, family gatherings that were face to face as opposed to the new scenario of heads buried in phones, food that wasn’t infused with harmful chemicals, friendships that weren’t marred by competition and value systems that were logical for the time and provided a framework that encouraged camaraderie rather than spite. Simple but necessary things that we have gradually seen vanish from our lives have given birth to an increase in what we have come to blame our every physical ailment on “ Stress!
Stress also sows seeds of contempt and these seeds sadly sprout into unmanageable feuds. A person who has a lot to do in a little amount of time begins to feel pressure. Once the person feels pressure, it is very difficult to respond logically. Of course, there are people who have mastered the art of not caring enough to explode, but the ones who put too much of focus on a job well done are the most susceptible to pressure. Finding the middle ground between not caring enough and caring too much is key. When we stress out about things we automatically become volatile. It is like a rubber band stretched to its limit, the only next step is for it to break. When we allow ourselves to reach that level of stress we too run the risk of ultimately reaching our breaking point. Before we reach there we need to take precautions because sadly some of the consequences of high levels of stress are pretty irreversible.
A few tips to keep productivity up and stress low thus follow. Make a conscious effort to find ‘me’ time- time for letting your hair down and enjoying things you love leaves you energised and ready to take on more. Pace yourself- deadlines will always keep presenting themselves but if you pace yourself and work systematically, you won’t find yourself rushing and stressing closer to the due date. Meditate and relax- pay attention to your breathing and work towards calming your mind. Focus on yourself- true there are those who will inevitably lag behind, focus on the fact that that is their problem and not yours, no one else’s tardiness reflects your abilities, stand up for yourself and assert when required. Write things down- make to do lists and always tick off the things you have completed, this gives you a sense of accomplishment and thus reduces stress. So all the best, and cheers to a stress free week.
- Charlene Farrell is a counselling psychologist who works extensively with children and adolescents. She also counsels and works with individuals of all ages. Emotional well-being, to her, is of utmost importance to a fruitful existence
