Stress - My way to cope with stress..

by Life Positive

...Relax with a good cry

Every few months, I reach a stage when I feel I can't carry on anymore. Then, I prefer to go to a place where I don't know anyone. If I can spare a few days, which is very rare, I vacation in Hong Kong. I just walk around the city, check out the latest international styles and generally do nothing. You cannot imagine what bliss that is after the long days of hard work I put in, shuttling from my studio to the National Institute of Fashion Design with which I am associated as the Director General.

To cope with stress on a daily basis, I take time to be by myself for a short while everyday. During this time, I read or exercise. I try to work out at least five times a week.

At times, when I feel negative emotions building up, I release them through a good cry. I psyche my brain so that I burst into tears. This is something that completely relaxes me and I feel calm afterwards.

I am not religious at all and can count the number of times I have visited the temple on the fingers of one hand. But I do chant mantras, given to me by a psychic, as and when I feel the need.

I do have a secret stress buster-pasting Swarovsky crystals on the garments that I design. After tracing the pattern on the garment, I sit with my crystals and get completely engrossed in pasting them. At that moment, I feel like a small child playing with colors and crayons.

This activity serves a dual purpose-it soothes me and I also get work done while I am at it.

Jattin Kochhar, Fashion Designer

...JUST DO IT

When you are a newspaperman, particularly a foreign correspondent, you have to be alert, you can't put off anything for tomorrow.

This habit of doing everything now has percolated to all parts of my life and plays a major role in warding off stress. This morning a friend called up and asked me to do an article on the Republic Day. I was to leave for Baroda at 4 p.m. and had my hands full but that was postponed by an hour. So I wrote out the article during that one hour. Unless one is trained to do something immediately, it is not possible to do an article in an hour. The spiritual trick is to be in the here and now. For circumstances beyond my control, I take comfort from the karmic view that it is meant to be.

M.V. Kamath, Writer and Columnist

...THE YOGIC WAY

My temperament is to find solutions to problems. I don't give up. This helps me to cope with stress. I become anxious when I have nothing to do. I undergo anxious moments at work, when things have to get done and I don't know how to cope. Then, I take deep breaths, do a series of quick push-ups, a series of 12 yogic exercises including pranayama, which I enjoy. I also do six Tibetan exercises.

Shyam Benegal, Film Director

...GRACE UNDER PRESSURE

Typically, I feel stressed out when faced with a significant change. What with the dual success of Kaun Banega Crorepati and Mastermind India, I have my hands full at the moment. A lot is happening and the only way I can safeguard myself against stress is by being prepared for all eventualities. I can only relax when I know that everything is taken care of. Once in a while, stress levels become uncomfortably high. Then I deliberately switch off my mind from that particular problem for a while and concentrate on something else.

The simple pleasures of life, like spending time with my wife, Anita, and children, Aditya and Medha, mean a lot to me. I do not follow any specific stress-busting technique like meditation or yoga. Surfing on TV or the Internet, a shower or a drink with friends work well enough to escape the daily grind. Also, low stress travel to a pleasant place is a great tranquilizer for me. Stress doesn't really scare me. It is part and parcel of our lives. I actually feel that positive stress does wonders for your job performance. As long as positive stress is in dominance, it is fine.

Siddhartha Basu, CEO, Synergy Communications