“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” — John Lubbock
In our highly competitive and stressed modern world we need some simple and easy coping mechanisms. At this point in time, I myself am feeling extremely stressed. The world economy is shattered. Resources are thinning out. As an entrepreneur I am responsible for several people. I spend many hours worrying and reading. Looking for ideas that will help us survive the new normal. Then I have to look for ways for me to cope with the stress. If I stress too much, then I will be useless to my family and all the people in our team. I definitely want to live a much simpler life in whatever the new normal will be. So, I am also working on how to simplify my life. Easier said than done.
Even before the lockdowns were implemented, I was stressing about how to make the business survive. Since the lockdown I am also very stressed. Albeit for different reasons. With cashflows stalled, the challenge is to be able to pay basic costs of the business. But whilst we are locked-down there is not much I can do, except worry. How do I slow down my brain which is in the throes of chaos?
I am sharing today some of what I do to quell the storm in my mind and some ideas for you to quell your storms.
Since the lockdown happened, and I was left powerless against the forces that took control of our lives, I somehow took to writing. Being creative helps. Whatever may be your calling. Now the fact is that, I don’t even think that I write that well. For me it was not about mediocre or great writing. It was about being able to express and about getting a focus to the day. I set myself the task of writing one article a day and publishing it on Medium. With no expectation I dove right in. In the beginning I even managed to write two articles a day, on some days. You can imagine that it takes a fair amount of time to kick start that rusty brain. I was left feeling that the written word is simply not flowing out. A lot of force had to be applied to get words onto the empty screen. I persevered. And slowly it got a bit better. The operative term being “bit better”. The exciting thing was that I wanted to put words down. Any available free time was being spent on my laptop. Clickety Clack. Clickety Clack. I was zoned in. Even if there was a level of noise, I was zoned in. This is in context, to the fact, that I just cannot handle noise. High levels of sound can render me stupefied.
This zoning in meant that, whilst I am writing, I am zoned out of my stress. My entire being is so focused that all else is forgotten. Perfect solution to stress. Before the lockdown the only way for me to shut down my worrying brain, was to get on my cycle at home, put on the television and sweat away. That was my way to get a break from the day’s madness. You may prefer yoga or meditation. Each to his own.
My interest was in writing. You may take to dance, to painting, or to play an instrument. Explore your creative side. Take on something that you will look forward to doing every day. Something that is meaningful for you. And allow yourself to zone in. The universe is going to do what it is going to do. Life will unfold and we will all have to deal with whatever shows up.
There are times that a particular song can uplift my lowest mood. My wife loves to have music with her wherever she goes. For me it has to be that perfect song for that perfect mood. And this can only happen by chance, as I don’t know each of the perfect songs for my different moods. For many, though, music is their space to zone out.
Sex is also a powerful weapon that can bust stress. It has been proven that due to the endorphins and other feel-good hormones that are released, the benefits of sex can be long lasting, and not just for a few hours. Complete mitigation of stress. When uptight I would recommend a good roll between the sheets to uplift your spirits. Sex combined with love is a heady mixture. A sure-fire way to vanquish stress.
If sex is not on the cards, then see if a massage is possible. Touch is great for emotional health and stress relief. Exchange massages with your partner. It will relax both of you and you never know where that will lead.
Sleep is the other very important fix for stress. Sleep well and the body is better equipped to deal with the massive amounts of day to day stress. Make sleep as important as breathing for yourself. Neglect this at your own peril.
Scream, attack a cushion, have a go at a punching bag, run your 10K, climb a hill — all of these are stress busters. Do whatever is your calling in that moment of stress. May be different at different times. Crying is good for the spirit too. Cry your heart out if that is what will throw out the stress for you. No shame in crying.
Meditation is touted as another great stress beater. Somehow not for me. Although I can see why it would work for many. Take to it, if it makes a difference to you.
Most importantly don’t look for perfection. The search for perfection can be very stressful. Definitely for me.
Unplug. Take a break from technology and spend time with yourself. Cut off the information overload. Another super technique to release stress. Eliminate as much of the unnecessary as you can. Eat your meals slowly. Be deliberate. Take time. Eat Well. Breathe deeply. Essentially make time for yourself and the stress will leave your surroundings.
Written By Mohit Gupta
Week 16, April ’20
