We, as women, have diverse roles to play in the day today. There can be various reasons in your personal life, relationships and professional life, health due to which stress can yet build up. It is inevitable for stress to set in if not timely managed through appropriate routes. Stress has its own ways to express itself at different planes- physical, mental and emotional.

What happens when stress builds up?

Physically, you may notice:

• Generalised fatigue
• Muscular pains in neck and back
• Headaches
• Gastric ulcers
• Loss of appetite/ increased appetite
• Disturbed sleep
• Loss of libido

Mentally and emotionally, note the changes:

• Impulsiveness
• Outbursts
• Irritability
• Overly emotional
• Strained relationships
• Low tolerance threshold
• Prone to smoking/ alcoholism
• Reduced productivity at work
• Avoiding human contact

What can be done on a regular basis to de-stress oneself?

1. Make sure to receive minimum 20 minutes of morning sunlight.
2. Inculcate 2 forms of physical activity in your daily life to avoid boredom and to make all muscles workout. Dance, stretching, aerobics, gymnasium, sports, swimming, exercising, cycling- pick up 2 and do on alternate days. Total 5 days/week of activity is essential.
3. Practice pranayama minimum 5 days a week. It helps create emotional balance and flush out toxins by increasing oxygen intake.
4. Have nuts and dry-fruits daily. Beetroot, oranges, bananas help build endurance in times of crisis and mental pressure.
5. Practice mindfulness/ meditation to connect to yourself. It helps improve creativity and decision making capacity.
6. Surround yourself with positive, selfless people whom you trust and can confide in.

How to avoid getting stressed at your workplace:-

1. Do not skip breakfast. Have a whole breakfast with protein, carbohydrates and fat in this sequence of portion.
2. Your cabin/ table/ cubicle should have things that keep you grounded, rooted and self-connected. Eg: family picture, your favourite coffee mug, a cherished memento. Placing a fresh flower each day will help enliven the official and grave environment.
3. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes. Do not stress yourself with heels if your knees cannot take them.
4. Maintain proper posture of the neck, back, knees, feet and hands.
5. Every 2 hours, walk somewhere in the open or near a window to get some sunlight and fresh air. These ward off fatigue and lethargy.
6. Leave your chair every 45-60 minutes and get walking for your joints and back.
7. Plan your ‘to-do’ list and your goals for the day once seated in your place.
8. Build friendly bonds with colleagues.
9. Say No to uninvited casual chats/ phone calls/ conversations, especially when you are at your productive best.
10. Do not engage in gossips/ small talks. These rob you of psychic energy and reduce creativity.
11. Do not intervene into a discussion, unless invited to join.
12. Have group lunches to build friendly bonds and laugh and lighten up in between your day.
13. Participate in office games and picnics.
14. Keep away from indulging in unhealthy politics and games to belittle others. Allow your work to speak for you.
15. Overcome your fears by doing them. Be it making that sales call or asking your boss for a salary hike.
16. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths if something is causing anxiety.
17. When restless due to challenges, write them down to define them and then chalk out a stepwise plan to resolve them.
18. Visualize your favourite spot/ place/ scene to de-stress and connect with yourself at any moment.
19. Any invasion of personal space must be retaliated in the proper manner. Report any form of harassment to the HR Dept immediately.
20. Remember, you have a personal/ family life too. Do not let your profession be the only aspect of your life.

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