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In recent times, one hears a lot about work life balance, managing stress, wellness and so on and so forth. The statistics on stress related diseases is alarmingly on the rise and so are the deaths associated with it. Also, stress impacts relations and these days, we often hear of broken marriages, bad relations at home and work. These lead to low productivity, emotional imbalance and depression. When people talk about stress management, I ask them a very simple question and that is, "What hobbies do you pursue?" The answers are sadly common. Everybody has some exciting hobby which they had been pursuing in the past or would like to do so in the future but most of them do nothing in the present. The culprit is of course time. I find it amazing that people blame time because with advanced technology and in this app based world, one can have a lot of time in hand if they want. The question thus arises is that, is it about time or is it about priority? How do we find time to do what is important? Let me share my thoughts and experiences on how I manage stress in the city.
I mentioned advanced technology, which is not only a boon but also a bane. Thanks to technology, one is hit by magnitudes of information on a daily basis which is the underlying cause of stress. But in today's world, one cannot survive if you are ignorant to what's happening around you and so it becomes essential to keep up with the trend. Lifestyles have changed so drastically that I never ever imagined that there would be a time in my life when I would have to manage with 4-5 hours of sleep and grab a nasty and not tasty bite, have a "working lunch" - (a concept I dislike) or go for breakfast and coffee meetings!! At the same time, since I love what I do, these are the nuances one has to face. There was a time when I struggled with all of this and along the way I learnt that in life there is always a solution for everything and I eventually managed to find ways to de-stress.
After understanding a bit on Emotional Intelligence, it dawned upon me that the journey starts with self-awareness. One technique that has helped me to do this is meditation. Training your mind to focus on breathing and letting go - sounds easy, but is not. Initially there is a lot of restlessness, impatience and a feeling of boredom but slowly over time it takes you to the next level. I've been practising some or the other forms of meditation for the last 23 years. It has increased my self-awareness tremendously and as a result of this my Emotional Quotient has increased, decreasing my stress levels.
Yoga is something else that helped along the way. Having done a 7-day yoga camp from the Yoga Institute in Mumbai, I realised that yoga is not only some form of exercise, but a way of life. And once it becomes a way of life, one can practice it during hectic travels and schedules as well. There are some simple and excellent techniques that help. One of my favourites is resting the head against your seat and meditating while travelling. A great de-stressor!
Yet another powerful influence in my life is that of Nichiren Buddhism. This is a wonderful practice that empowers individuals towards a positive global change. The core practice of the Soka Gakkai (Value Creation) International is chanting "Nam Myoho Renge Kyo" along with sharing the teachings of Buddhism with others. This helps people to overcome their problems and also help others to overcome the same. The faith in this practice has helped millions of people around the world to improve the quality of their lives and the lives of others, eventually leading to the objective of world peace. The monthly discussion meetings are a key part of this practice where people share experiences and motivate others to confront their challenges. The key concept of this practice is human evolution which enables the inner transformation of individuals to create a positive change in themselves and ultimately in the society as well.
Besides all this, things like cooking, music, dancing, reading and playing with my sons, who are with me all the time (my two dogs) and so many more activities, keep me going in this urban way of life. On a positive note - there is also good stress, not only the bad one. So the key is to change the bad stress to the good one to keep you going.
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