Before stress kills you, kill stress…

Stress is a psychosomatic condition which results from a variety of factors, both physical and mental. It is becoming increasingly common amongst people working in highly competitive businesses and leading a hectic lifestyle, mostly in urban centers. Long working hours, fierce competition, tight schedules and deadlines are fast becoming a common feature of most offices – factors which are majorly responsible for creating undue mental and physical pressure on those who work there and lead to stress.

Lack of adequate and sound sleep, insufficient physical exercise and the consequent digestive disorders also contribute to stress. A busy work schedule also implies lack of opportunities to interact with friends and family, which adds to the individual’s feeling of anxiety and alienation and builds up stress. The most common symptoms of stress are headache, inability to concentrate, sudden and excessive perspiration, nervousness and irritability.

In the long run, stress can lead to problems like loss of appetite, stomach ulcers, hypertension and cardiac ailments, as well as depression and other psychological disorders.

There are a few basic rules that you should bear in mind to combat stress. Do not set unrealistic goals for yourself, either in your professional or personal life. Try and balance your work schedule with leisure. Taking short breaks from work for a couple of minutes at regular intervals helps prevent stress at the workplace. You could ask a friend to gently massage your temples with his/her fingers in circular motions during these breaks. This helps a lot in de-stressing the mind and the body.

You may also follow a few natural remedies to get rid of stress. One of the most popular remedies for stress is to chew a few basil leaves every morning. You may also prepare a decoction by boiling a handful of basil leaves in water till the volume of the solution is reduced to half, strain the clear liquid and drink this extract every day. Alternatively, boil a few sage leaves in a pan of water till it is reduced to a third of its original volume, strain out the clear liquid, add a little jiggery and a teaspoon of honey to it and drink this decoction whenever you feel stressed. Drinking a cup of lukewarm milk to which a teaspoon of honey and a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg powder have been added also helps. In addition, quit smoking and restrict the consumption of caffeinated and alcoholic drinks.