Anxiety, insomnia, muscle tension, fatigue, high blood pressure, and anger are just some of the symptoms of stress. Stress not only affects our body, but also our behavior that can lead to social withdrawal. This presentation will explore the nature of our mind and the various factors in our lives that cause us stress. We will learn simple meditation techniques that can nourish the mind which will lead to increased focus, greater productivity, and improved relationships. ~ Pandit
Gadadhara Pandit, an author, meditation teacher, inspirational speaker, and lecturer at Columbia University gave a talk organized by Google . Pandit talks about stress management for work-life balance – something we could probably all stand to be a little better at.
Pandit uses his life experience and decades of in-depth studies to aid people in overcoming the various stress factors in their own lives. The medical field now knows that stress leads to anxiety, insomnia, muscle tension, high blood pressure, and anger. Pandit’s unique approach applies Eastern wisdom and meditation techniques to help the audience gain deeper insight into their mind and understand the reasons we becomes stressed, anxious, and angry.
An Integrative Approach for Preventing and Managing Stress:
A number of strategies can help in stress management. Some of these techniques are validated at Neurokrish
1. Develop Social Support Systems:
- Support from friends and family provides emotional sustenance, tangible resources, aid and information
- Membership of club or societies: hobby or interest group, illness support groups, religious groups, sports and recreational clubs
- Owning a pet can be stress relieving [1]
2. Lead a Healthy and Predictable Life
- Healthy diet
- Regular exercise
- Adequate rest and sleep
- Scheduling and planning
- Delegation of duties
- Moderation in all that you do
3. Learn and Practice Simple Interventions
- Aerobic exercise
- Yoga, meditation, relaxation training
- Counselling
- Massage and other stress relieving measures
- Religious and spiritual pursuit
Stress is an unavoidable consequence of life. Managing all your commitments, such as academics, family, friends, and work, can be challenging. While stress is usually seen as a negative, even positive situations like a new job or relationship can create stress. Stress can also serve as a motivator, for example when the deadline for a paper is approaching.
Since everyone has a unique response to stress, there is no “one size fits all” solution to dealing with it. No single method works for everyone or in every situation, so experiment with different techniques and strategies. Focus on what makes you feel calm and in control and try to follow the advice in Reinhold Niebuhr’s, serenity prayer:
“Grant me the courage to change the things I can change, the serenity to accept the things I can’t change, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Download a free e-handbook on stress management from Mind, the mental health charity for England and Wales.
Walsh F (2009). Human-animal bonds II: the role of pets in family systems and family therapy. Family process, 48 (4), 481-99 PMID: 19930434
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