20 WAYS TO TURN STRESS
INTO FUN !!
BY: DHYAANGURU DR. NIPUN AGGARWAL
www.theworldofhealing.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dhyaanguru Dr. Nipun Aggarwal is a Humanitarian, Philanthropist,
Mentor, Motivator, Doctor and a Spiritual Guide who has helped
thousands over the years with Lectures and workshops on Self-
Development, Meditation and Mantras.
Dr. Aggarwal is a Physician listed as one of the Top Leading
Physicians of the World. He has delivered lectures on Motivation,
Confidence building, Personality Development, Hypnotherapy and
many more natural ways of Healing over the World. He has a
doctorate in Medicine and Masters in Hypnotherapy with special
interest and expertise in Meditation, Acupressure, Reflexology
and Alternative Medicine.
This book is very easy to read. The fundamentals described in the
book are very simple and easy to follow.
AN INCIDENT…
It started while I was taking a trip to India. It was a long day
before I got on the flight and I sat tired in the chair. After an
hour or so of napping, I took a moment to look around myself and
saw a nicely dressed man in his 60's sitting next to me. I
introduced myself and started talking. He was reading a book on
motivation. Being a speaker on motivation, I told him that I
myself conduct workshops on motivation and meditation to help
people. He looked at me for a second, and then said, “Let me tell
you a story. Few years ago, I was a very busy executive in one of
the Fortune 500 companies. One morning I was rushing to get to
work as usual. I was on the beltway when I realized that my car
was making a noise. I slowed down my car. I pulled it over the
shoulder and realized that I had a flat tire. It was raining heavily.
I had a very important meeting to attend. I started getting
stressed out. I started breathing fast and shallow. I could feel
my heart racing and not being able to think what I should do. Felt
as if everything wrong had happened to me in life. All of a sudden
I was drenched in negativity just by that one event. A passerby
stopped to see if I needed help. He saw me stressed and said,
“Take it easy. Let me help you with this". While helping me to get
the tire changed, he started talking to me and told me that he
had lost his job due to economic crisis and was struggling to get
one. He said,"I have been through a tough stressful phase when I
got laid off. I kept thinking as to why this happened to me. But on
deep thinking, I realized that there are so many people going
through real problems. Look at people who do not have a house to
live, do not have food to eat, suffering from cancer, handicaps, etc.
At least I have none of those. So, I am happy."
It took me a few minutes to think straight. But after digesting
what he said, I realized that we stress out on such minor stuff
which is not even worth thinking. That day I changed my attitude
towards stress and now I do not get it, because now I know Stress
is a thief that steals the peace of mind. So I keep the
doors of my mind locked to all such thieves to keep my peace of
mind.
This story was one of the few which people tell me about them
and how a few words can transform their thought process for the
better or worse.
STRESS IS BAD….
QUESTIONNAIRE..
Do you have hard time focusing on things?
Do you feel occupied mentally even when you cannot think of
anything particular?
Do you have bloating, heartburn or upset stomach frequently?
Do you have hard time sleeping?
Do you feel aches & pain in your body?
Do you have a constant fear of some sort?
Do you get headaches and neck pain frequently?
Do you have trouble losing weight even with aggressive diet and
exercise?
IF YES, YOU LIKELY HAVE STRESS CAUSING ALL THIS!
Stress is an emotion that comes from OVERACTIVE thoughts,
i.e., thoughts of over-concern, thoughts of disappointment,
thoughts of fear, thoughts of failure, etc. It creates a multitude
of chemical reactions in the whole body including brain. The
chemicals released lead to subtle contractions in the body which
gradually keep progressing if stress gets prolonged. Those
contractions manifest in multiple ways, both physically and
psychologically.
Stress reduces Immunity making you more susceptible to disease.
Physical Effects
1. Chronic Headaches.
2. Anxiety
3. Depression
4. Heartburn
5. Chronic Pains
6. Sleep disorders
7. Asthma
8. Cardiovascular diseases.
9. Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
10. Weight gain/weight loss
11. Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)
12. Loss of sex drive
13. Frequent colds
14. Chest pain/tightness
Psychological effects
1. Irritability
2. Anger
3. Agitation
4. Poor judgment
5. Memory problems
6. Addictions to alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax
Now what everyone wants to know is,
’How to Manage Stress?'
Next page is the most important page in the book.
MANTRA OF STRESS MANAGEMENT:
DO THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT
STRESS DOES TO YOU !!!
So, lets start the journey
20 WAYS TO TURN STRESS
INTO FUN
1. TAKE A DEEP BREATH
Deep breathing is a must and first physiological response that one
should adopt when going through an acute stress phase.
Whenever we are stressed, we do not breathe right. We take
very shallow breaths which do not provide sufficient oxygen to
the body. Our body reacts as if we are surrounded by a lot of
people who are going to harm us and we try to hide. As we do not
take deep breaths when we try to hide from someone, so that
they don't find us by the noise of breathing, similarly, when
stressed, we do not breathe properly. It leads to multiple
contractions in the body. Our blood vessels also start contracting
leading to elevation of Blood pressure. Lack of oxygen creates
mental clouding as the brain needs oxygen to breathe. The stress
hormone rises, leading to appetite changes. Our bowels do not
absorb the food as they should, leading to symptoms of diarrhea
or constipation initially, and may turn into Irritable Bowel
syndrome (IBS) when stress becomes chronic. All the above
mentioned physiological changes drain out a person physically and
mentally within few minutes of a stress response. Lungs are one
of the major organs to detoxify our body. They work by
eliminating the harmful gases out of our system. Improper
breathing leads to accumulation of toxic chemicals in body making
it more prone to disease.
Deep breathing helps in many ways. Physiologically, it provides
enough oxygen to our body, slows down heart rate, improves brain
function leading to better decision making during the stress
phase. The stress hormone concentration decreases and blood
circulation improves.
Tip: Just take 10 deep easy and deep breaths and say to yourself
“Relax" and see the difference in your body. The results are
instantaneous and magical.
2. STOP THINKING NEGATIVE, THINK GOOD
The first psychological response to stress is that we start
thinking negative about the situation or person in context. This is
part of human mind system which is very natural. It is hard to
change the response as it is part of our thinking mechanism. But
the thought itself is of no harm as long as you are aware of it and
you do not let that negative thought turn into a negative action.
Every event or happening in your life has a deeper meaning to it.
We get problems in life so that we can learn how to deal with
them. There is no single person in this whole world who could say
that he or she did not have any stressful situation in their lives.
Stress and its human response are the same for most of us. The
difference is perception and the experience. A problem is a
problem the first time. When we learn how to deal with it, we
know how to take care of it the second time.
Tip: think of good things that happened in your life. Think of all
the achievements, success and loved ones that you are proud of.
Think that you will be better the next time and that this problem
will never come again.
3. SOCIALIZE
Humans are social animals. We cannot stay away from people for
long. Stress leads to a fright response and the first thing we
want to do is ’hide' ourselves as mentioned in 1. So if you try to do
the opposite, you can easily null-void the stress response.
Conversation, sharing, being in touch with others, gives living a
purpose. Sharing with friends helps multiply the joys and divide
the sorrows. Several studies report fewer colds, lower blood
pressure and lower heart rates in participants with strong social
ties. Statistics show that marriage, perhaps the strongest tie,
adds years to life expectancy. Suicide, mental illness and
alcoholism rates are much lower when people feel a sense of
belonging.
Dozens of findings over the past two decades have shown how
important social connections can be. In another study, University
of Michigan epidemiologist James House and his team interviewed
and examined 2,754 adults over a period of nine to 12 years.
Their results, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology
in 1982, showed that men who reported more social relationships
-- going to movies, church meetings, classes, or trips with friends
or relatives, for example -- were significantly less likely to die
during the study period. Socially active women also benefited,
although not quite as dramatically.
Marriage, too, turns out to have important health benefits. In the
December 1999 issue of Neurology, researchers at Bordeaux
University in France reported that among 2,800 volunteers
followed over a five-year period, married people were one-third
less likely than the never-married to develop Alzheimer's disease.
So stop hiding in your room or house. Go out. Meet people. Talk to
people. World is beautiful out-there.
4. DANCE
History of dancing goes a long way when human civilizations were
established. It has been researched and studied over thousands
of years on how dance can affect us. Dance is a body response of
happiness and good mood. I have never seen person dance when
they are sad/depressed. Dancing with the music you like, increases
serotonin hormone in the brain which is the ’happy hormone'. That
is why depressed people are give SSRI's(Selective serotonine
Reuptake Inhibitors) which basically avoid depletion of Serotonin
in the brain leading to happy feelings and enhanced mood. Dancing
is a way to increase serotonin which improves your mood when you
are stressed. It also increases circulation in the body leading to
better oxygen consumption and detoxification.
Frequent dancing apparently makes us smarter. A major study
added to the growing evidence that stimulating one's mind can
ward off Alzheimer's disease and other dementia, much as
physical exercise can keep the body fit. Dancing also increases
cognitive acuity at all ages.
One of the surprises of the study was that almost none of the
physical activities appeared to offer any protection against
dementia. There can be cardiovascular benefits of course, but
the focus of this study was the mind. There was one important
exception: the only physical activity to offer protection against
dementia was frequent dancing.
Reading - 35% reduced risk of dementia
Bicycling and swimming - 0%
Doing crossword puzzles at least four days a week - 47%
Playing golf - 0%
Dancing frequently - 76%.
That was the greatest risk reduction of any activity studied,
cognitive or physical.
So put on your favorite dance music and show your moves. Your
stress will melt away in no time.
5. TAKE IT AS A CHALLENGE
Did you ever heard of anyone who sat on the bicycle for the first
time as a child and did not fall? Falling is part of human learning
system. We can only balance ourselves when we have fallen. Those
who don't fall, don't get success. So if you think, you have a lot of
falls on your plate, I want to congratulate you because all those
falls have helped you be at balance in life in many areas.
Perfection comes from practice. A 100 mile walk starts with one
step. How many times do you see toddlers fall when they are
learning to walk? Countless times. But does it make them stress
out? Not at all. Its part of learning curve to fall.
Whether we realize it or not, we are all faced with challenges in
our own lives every single day. We also frequently overcome these
challenges. As adults, we long for stability and certainty, yet
unintentionally fail to live out the incredible possibilities that
come with uncertainty. What we don't realize is that by putting
ourselves into a position where we are forced to take action in
order to succeed, we get rewarded always one way or the other.
So, take problems as challenges. Problems always go in the past.
You have to go in future. Our thoughts make us who we are.
6. GO TO A PARTY
Fun is a must especially when you are stressed. Our neural
connections and neurotransmitters also get in a happy mode.
Avoid any toxic substances like alcohol or smoking as they have
opposite effects. The idea is to connect with friends, socialize,
dance and listen to good music.
7. DRINK PLENTY WATER
Water is the best detoxifying agent created by nature. Water's
healing properties are always underestimated. To most of my
patients, I recommend drinking plenty of water as first part of
my recommendations. Water is major component of human body.
It constitutes over 70% of human body. Water goes into blood
circulation; kidneys filter the blood and eliminate toxins from
your body.
75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. Drinking 5 glasses
of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it
can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50%
less likely to develop bladder cancer.
Benefits of water include
*Clears body toxins
*Improves colon and bladder health
*Improves circulation
*Improves muscle strength
*Improves skin texture
*Promotes muscle growth.
*Reduces weight
*Promotes mood
*Promotes exercise capacity
*Increased productivity
*Reduces fatigue and tiredness
So, start drinking more water. Recommendations are 8 glasses,
8oz each per day.
8. EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGGIES
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables have abundance of anti-oxidants
which reduce the aging process accelerated by stress. Stress
affects our telomeres (part of genes) leading to poor and reduced
life. Antioxidants help to reduce the effects of free radicals
created in the body by stress and helps cleanse our body and
mind. Fruits and vegetables come in terrific colors and flavors, but
their real beauty lies in what's inside. Fruits and vegetables are
great sources of many vitamins, minerals and other natural
substances that may help protect you from chronic diseases.
Most people should aim for at least nine servings (at least 4½
cups) of vegetables and fruits a day. To get a healthy variety,
think color. Eating fruits and vegetables of different colors gives
your body a wide range of valuable nutrients, like fiber, folate,
potassium, and vitamins A and C. Some examples include green
spinach, orange sweet potatoes, black beans, yellow corn, purple
plums, red watermelon, and white onions. For more variety, try new
fruits and vegetables regularly. Stress reduces our immunity
and fruits and veggies help restore that giving us the ability to
fight disease.
9. GET UP EARLY IN MORNING
We all have heard this multiple times from our elders that “Early
to bed and early to rise, makes a person healthy, wealthy and wise."
It is very true. I know it is very hard to get up early in the
morning with the kind of lifestyle we have, but once you do it, you
feel so good, that you would want to do it again and again. That one
extra hour in the morning is most productive part of the day.
Whatever you would do in that one hour would lead to great
results. There are multiple reasons for that.
a. You are fresh,
b. You are relaxed.
c. You are well rested.
d. Your mind is not racing with multiple thoughts in the first hour.
e. Highest concentration of positive hormones in the morning.
So, if you have some work which you have been wanting to do for a
while, but do not get enough time to finish it off, try once to do it
in that one hour. It will help boost your mood for the rest of
that day. Mornings are best times to stretch, exercise and
meditate.
10. CLEAN YOUR HOME
Cleaning your room, desk or wherever you dwell is a must for each
human being. Clean Homes have been proven statistically to be
much more calming to mind than dirty ones. So the first thing to
calm your mind is to clean your clutter. You will get instant
satisfaction and peace of mind. Also, cleaning involves physical
exercise. Physical exercise helps with increased motor activity
leading to lowering of serum cortisol (stress hormone) and
improved circulation. So gather the cleaning supplies and start
this stress buster.
11. ORGANIZE CLOSET
Organizing helps streamline our thought process and improves our
problem solving skills. Organizing closet saves time in mornings,
keeps your mood right and improves your organizing skills. It is
well known that people who keep their closet organized are good
organizers overall.
Our belongings stay in closet. The way we carry ourselves can be
easily correlated with the condition of our closet. So clean it.
How we are inside is how we are outside. If inside is good, outside
always turns good.
The idea is to organize. When we organize, we feel good. We get
a sense of achievement. All high achievers are good organizers.
Just keeping your closet organized, would lead to cleaning your
subconscious mind, improving sense of well-being.
A few easy ways to do is to follow the 80/20 rule. 80% of the
things we have are only used 20% of the times and 20% of the
things are used 80% of the times. So put the 20% items in front
where they can be easily approached and kept. The rest 80% good
stuff that you piled up over time thinking that you will be using it,
but as usual did not get a chance to use, needs be the one that
needs sorting out soon.
Take 2 big plastic or cardboard boxes. Separate the ones that
you honestly feel that you would be using in future and the ones
that really fit well. Put them in the Box named MINE.
The ones that do not fit, or are now old fashioned or the ones you
have used enough that you don't feel wearing anymore, put them in
a box named DONATE. Most people are able to get at least 25-
40% of the stuff in Donate Box.
Organizing closet also burns up some calories and get you going.
Also helps your spouse/room partner feel good about that. So
your stress buster can bring a smile on someone else's face. It is
totally worth it. Now your closet is clean and very well organized.
Take a picture with your digital camera to remind you of that
moment.
12. EXERCISE
Exercise, Exercise, Exercise. I hope I have made a point here.
Exercise is a significant booster of endorphins (happy hormones).
Health Benefits of Exercise and Physical Activity:
Reduce the risk of premature death
Reduce the risk of developing and/or dying from heart
disease
Reduce high blood pressure or the risk of developing high
blood pressure
Reduce high cholesterol or the risk of developing high
cholesterol
Reduce the risk of developing colon cancer and breast
cancer
Reduce the risk of developing diabetes
Reduce or maintain body weight or body fat
Build and maintain healthy muscles, bones, and joints
Reduce depression and anxiety
Improve psychological well-being
Enhanced work, recreation, and sport performance
So put on your sneakers and take a run on road or treadmill.
Lifting some weights would be a good idea too.
13. DRESS WELL
When was the last time you dressed well? Imagine how you felt at
that time. When we dress well, we get more confident. Good
dressing style brings style in you. You carry yourself well. You do
not slouch. You stand erect and you are ready to take on to any
challenge. That is why most of the corporation executives,
marketing people and customer service representatives wear
formal clothing. When we feel confident, we are more efficient
and our face value improves.
It has been said that in the first 5 seconds after meeting a new
person, they will have made a long lasting first impression of your
image. 90% of your body at any time is covered in clothing.
Therefore how to dress well for men IS a big deal. You don't need
to spend thousands of dollars on a new wardrobe, but you do need
to put effort and thought into what you wear.
Dressing well is applicable to all areas of life (the business world,
the dating world etc.) You need to look and feel your best no
matter where you are going. Fashion is really an expression of
yourself.
So put on your best show tonight.
14. LOTUS POSE
The Lotus position is adopted to allow the body to be held
completely steady for long periods of time. As the body steadies,
the mind becomes calm. The posture applies pressure to the lower
spine which may facilitate relaxation. The breathing slows down,
muscular tension decreases and blood pressure decreases. The
sacral nerves are toned as the normally large blood flow to the
legs is redirected to the abdominal region.
15. AVOID CAFFEINE
Caffeine is very potent trigger for vasospasm, i.e., blood vessel
contraction. It increases blood pressure and also increases
irritability of bladder and colon making you more susceptible to
disease. Stress when combines with caffeine is a bad combination.
So avoid any caffeinated drinks like coffee and sodas. You can try
decaf if you still crave for it.
For most adults, moderate doses of caffeine -- 200 to 300
milligrams (mg), or about two to four cups of brewed coffee a day
-- aren't harmful. But heavy use -- more than 500 to 600 mg a
day, or about four to seven cups of coffee -- can cause a whole
host of problems, including:
Insomnia
Nervousness
Restlessness
Irritability
Nausea or other gastrointestinal problems
Fast or irregular heartbeat
Muscle tremors
Headaches
Anxiety
16. LAUGH
Watch a comedy movie or show. You can also call up a friend or
colleague who makes you laugh. Laughter is a good way to
generate series of neurochemical reactions which are helpful for
mood enhancement. A lot of cultures have now adapted a system
of laughter clubs. It’s an idea whereby all people stand in a circle
and laugh. It is way to subconsciously train the mind to stay happy
even without an occurrence of stimulus to laugh.
Laughter is a good way to connect with other people. It lightens
up the mood. It also gives a wonderful internal workout (especially
abdomen). Increases endorphins and reduces cortisol. It
distracts you from stress. Humor and laughter strengthen your
immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you
from the damaging effects of stress. Best of all, this priceless
medicine is fun, free, and easy to use. Humor helps you keep a
positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations,
disappointments, and loss.
So start laughing.
17. LET GO
A lot of us have a hard time letting go. We keep holding on to
past bad memories or thoughts about people and events in life. As
discussed above, things happen in everyone's life. There is no
single person who is only blessed with happiness and no sorrow.
Our subconscious mind is like the sea's bottom surface. Over time,
we keep adding layers of memories and we become who we are.
Some memories are very disturbing to that surface and keep
creating waves which does not let our mind settle. It not only
causes us to be unhappy, but can strain or ruin relationships,
distract us from work and family and other important things, make
us reluctant to open up to new things and people. We get trapped
in a cycle of anger and hurt, and miss out on the beauty of life as
it happens.
Try to shake the memory or thought that has been shaking your
mind. Imagine wiping that thought out of your mind. It will help
you incredibly.
18. SET GOALS
Goal setting gives you direction for future. SMART goals help you
achieve the desired results that you strive for. Goals should be
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Time-bound
It is even more important to make goals during time of stress
because it gives you a morale boost. You look for the good part of
future rather than looking at the past or present. Futuristic
approach helps you forget your present or past issues for a while.
Goals can help you concentrate your time and effort
Goals can provide motivation, persistence and desire
Goals can help you establish priorities.
Goals can provide a roadmap to take you from where you are to
where you want to be.
So always look forwards.
19. PLAN A TRIP
It would be a good idea to plan a trip with your spouse or friend
to your favorite destinations. Make sure you do not spend out of
pocket as that would be another stressor later. Check out travel
deals over internet. You can easily save bunch of money that you
can use for later in life. You feel good when you save.
When we travel, we meet variety of people. On reading biographies
of highly successful people, one thing that stands out is that they
all mention that their best learning experiences came while
travelling and meeting people. When we plan, we look forward to it.
We get a reason to be happy, especially when surrounded by so
many stressors.
So take a road trip, plane trip or a sea trip and enjoy.
20. MEDITATE
A 2005 study on American men and women who meditated a mere
40 minutes a day showed that they had thicker cortical walls as
compared to non meditators. What this meant is that their brains
were aging at a slower rate. Cortical thickness is also associated
with decision making, attention and memory.
Meditation is one thing that people are scared of. Meditation is
traditionally thought to as an act of ultimate mind control which
is very hard to achieve. It is imagined as a very tough task to
perform. I have a good news for you my friend. You have already
meditated by reading this book. Reading a book is also a type of
meditation. Anybody can do meditation anytime. Meditation is
nothing but self-awareness. You may feel your breathing, the air
touching your skin, sensations in your hands and feet or whatever
you want to as long as you are living in the present moment. We
tend to think multiple things at the same time and are unable to
achieve desired results because of lack of focus. So take a few
moments and try to feel yourself.
LET’S REFRESH AGAIN WHAT WE READ REALLY QUICK.
20 WAYS TO TURN STRESS
INTO FUN !!
1. TAKE A DEEP BREATH
2. STOP THINKING NEGATIVE, THINK GOOD
3. SOCIALIZE
4. DANCE
5. TAKE IT AS A CHALLENGE
6. GO TO A PARTY
7. DRINK PLENTY WATER
8. EAT MORE FRUITS AND VEGGIES
9. GET UP EARLY IN MORNING
10. CLEAN YOUR HOME
11. ORGANIZE CLOSET
12. EXERCISE
13. DRESS WELL
14. LOTUS POSE
15. AVOID CAFFEINE
16. LAUGH
17. LET GO
18. SET GOALS
19. PLAN A TRIP
20. MEDITATE
SO, THE IDEA TO MANAGE STRESS IS TO CONVERT IT
INTO FUN !!
DO THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT STRESS DOES TO YOU AND
YOU WILL BE HAPPY IN NO TIME .