Stress Management

What is Stress? What are the Sources of Stress? 

Stress can be generally described as the body’s reaction to pressure from external events or situations that appear challenging to manage at a given moment in time. Stress is recognizable based on the physiological, psychological, or emotional symptoms in reaction to such events. Symptoms range from mild (e.g., sweaty palms) to severe (e.g., high blood pressure, anxiety, panic attacks) and are unique to each individual based on the nature of the stressor (i.e., traumatic event or situational pressures), internal strength and ability to find immediate solutions to stressful events and access to a social support network. 

The most common sources of severe stress include but are not limited to the following events: Loss of a loved one, the break-up of a family due to separation or divorce, loss of one’s home or property due to natural or man-made circumstances, loss of a job or source of income, a recent move to a new location, domestic violence, being bullied at school or workplace, excessive responsibilities related to tasks and people, etc. 

As per the medical practitioners and psychologists, situational stress from a demanding event (e.g., a job interview, sick family member, family discord) is short-lived and may not cause any serious harm to the overall health of a person. However, ongoing stress from extremely challenging or traumatic events, or ruminating on anticipated adverse outcomes of unpredictable events, can take a toll on one’s health, often requiring external intervention. 

In his book, Science of Mind Management, Swamiji notes that stress is a symptom of our attachment to particular outcomes and worries that things may not turn out as expected. He adds that stressful events are not bad in and of themselves. In fact, they can boost the quality of performance and serve as catalysts for progress, thus, should not be eliminated as such. What needs to be eliminated is our harmful emotional reaction to stressful situations. Our mind is used to comfortable situations and predictable routines, so when unprecedented events occur, our internal state goes from calm to turmoil because we are attached to the external sources of pleasure. As per the Bhagavad Gita, a vast majority of our actions are motivated by the rajasic desire or ambition for power, prestige, and wealth. The intense effort to procure these, and the anticipated or unexpected outcomes can be a source of stress. 

यत्तुकामेप्सुना कर्म साहङ्कारेण वा पुन: |
क्रियते बहुलायासं तद्राजसमुदाहृतम् || 24||

yat tu kāmepsunā karma sāhankārena vā punaḥ
kriyate bahulāyāsaṁ tad rājasam udāhṛitam

Action that is prompted by selfish desire, enacted with pride, and full of stress, is in the nature of passion (Bhagavad Gita 18.24).

When we detach the mind from the fruits of our actions and perceive difficulties as a grace of God, then the stress will automatically decrease. We will then more likely accept any kind of loss as the desire of God, heading towards our internal growth.

What are the Effects of Stress on Overall Health? 

Some amount of stress is to be expected in this day and age of highly competitive and performance-based global trends. However, long-term stress can have debilitating effects on the psychological, emotional and physical health of people. When people experience persistent stress, it is likely to increase anxiety, worry, depression, fatigue, insomnia and anger, especially when they cannot find viable solutions. Their psychological reactions to stressful situations may exacerbate physical health symptoms ranging from viral infections and headaches to gastrointestinal and heart problems. Physical and psychological ill-health can further adversely affect a person’s emotional health, marked by increases in irritability, difficulty with concentrating on tasks, mood swings, substance abuse, etc. 

In 7 Mindsets for Success, Happiness and Fulfillment, Swamiji discusses the mind-body connection where physical and psychological symptoms influence each other. Several studies have suggested that ailments like psoriasis, eczema, stomach ulcers, high blood pressure and heart disease are positively correlated with mental disturbances. These are examples of psychosomatic illnesses. “When we feel stressed, the hypothalamus in the brain signals the adrenal cortex to produce cortisol. It also cues the adrenal medulla to produce epinephrine. The release of these hormones causes the liver to produce more glucose. If that is not used up, it makes one susceptible to diabetes. Thus, the link between stress and diabetes is a confirmed medical fact” (p. 39). 

Additionally, ongoing stress weakens the body’s immune system making us more susceptible to bacterial infections and viruses. Individuals who tend to be excessively competitive, impatient and hostile, are more likely to experience cardiovascular diseases. However, the contrary is also true. Individuals with a more positive and optimistic attitude are more likely to emanate compassion and kind thoughts towards others. This in return, increases the production of serotonin which makes us feel good and thus, strengthens our immune system. Even those who witness acts of kindness, experience an increase in the production of serotonin. It could be argued that kindness has the same effect as an antidepressant drug. Wouldn’t kindness be a much-desired strategy for stress management than medications that treat but do not cure? The next section presents some strategies for managing stress from a worldly as well as a spiritual perspective.

What are the Strategies for Stress Management? 

Stress management requires one to first establish whether the stressful events are due to unpredictable traumatic events or ongoing pressure related to work and/or home life. The solution to stress reduction is to make adjustments in one’s lifestyle and learn internal strategies instead of engaging in activities that superficially alleviate stress. Some strategies based on worldly and spiritual perspectives are shared below:

1. Physical Activity to Destress. Any physical activity from a walk to working out at a gym can help to reduce stress. Not only does the mind get a break from stressful situations and thoughts but it may feel more rejuvenated from physical exercise. Make physical activity in whatever form you prefer, an integral part of your routine. 
2. Build-in Time for Leisure Activities. Activities that free the mind from stressful situations and immerse it in positive thoughts can be very helpful. Such activities can range from hobbies and playing friendly sports to helping others accomplish a mission (e.g., teaching children to dance or play music). 
3. Manage Your Diet. Make sure to eat a healthy diet, especially in the face of stressful situations. We tend to do the opposite – find comfort foods that are usually unhealthy. A healthy diet will boost the immune system and lower blood pressure. The Samarpan issue of November 2020 was dedicated to this topic so readers are encouraged to access the issue for detailed content and application tools.
4. Keep Things in the Proper Perspective. Keep the focus on the process and effort to not feel stressed. Even in the most challenging of situations, there are others whose difficulties are far greater and they may have fewer supports. Helping the mind to relax by keeping the proper perspective can help to reduce stress. Feel grateful for all the things that are doing well in life to counter the stress from challenging situations.
5. Focus on Progress, not Perfection. If the mind focuses on performing each and every action with perfection, it will experience more stress. However, by focusing on the growth process and enjoying the journey toward incremental progress, we will relieve the mind of the stress of perfection. 
6. Focus on Things you can Control at this Time. We may not be in a position to control many circumstances in life but we do have control over several things like: Noticing and appreciating small acts of kindness by others; being a good listener for those who are going through a difficult time; thinking positive thoughts to uplift yourself; manage your expectations of others; the effort you make at staying calm. These are just examples of things we can control so make full use of the opportunities. 
7. Detach the Mind from Outcomes of Actions. Those who appreciate the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita are already familiar with Lord Krishna’s divine words to educate Arjun about the need to do one’s duty but not be concerned with the results. 

   कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन |
   मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि || 47 ||

   karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana
   mā karma-phala-hetur bhūr mā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi

   You have a right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, nor be attached to inaction (Bhagavad Gita 2.47).
    

   The inherent logic is that our actions should be performed for the pleasure of God, not ourselves. In the same way, the results of these actions should also be left in God’s hands. The faith that God will only give us the results that are beneficial for the soul, will help us to detach from the fruits of our actions. Also, Not Becoming Attached To Outcomes (NATO) will enable the mind to work stress-free, give up the pride of doership, and pursue duties with full effort regardless of challenges. 

8. Practice Karm Yog to Connect with God. Detaching the mind from the results of actions and connecting it with God can be described as Karm Yog. Whether we engage in mundane routine activities like cooking, eating, cleaning, or working on the job, replacing the apathetic thoughts with devotional sentiments will allow us to connect with God and minimize stress. Our Vedic scriptures are filled with inspirational stories of Karm Yogis whose minds were attached to God while their bodies performed the physical tasks associated with their roles in life. Examples of such saintly personalities in previous yugas include King Janak, Prahlad, Dhruv, Yudhishthir, etc. In recent history, we can take inspiration from selfless activists of India’s freedom movement including Mahatma Gandhi and Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Even though externally they engaged in non-violent activities to free India from colonial rule, internally, their mind was attached to God.  
9. Practice the Presence of God. Practicing the presence of God is to engage the mind in God. God is seated in our hearts and makes a note of our karmas and bestows the results of our thoughts and actions at an appropriate time. This knowledge and practice will enable us to decrease stress by remembering God at all times and never forgetting Him at any time. The Samarpan issue of October 2021 was dedicated to this theme so readers are encouraged to access the issue for detailed content and application tools.
10. Work with Pure Intentions. We experience stress due to our material attachments. When our intention behind any work or action is pure, that is, dedicated to the loving service of God, then the effort alone will be enough to make us feel good. Swamiji says that if we identify ourselves as servants of God and work for His pleasure, then we will not only remain humble but also stress-free. Pure intentions attract divine grace and enable the elevation of the soul. 
11. Guided Meditation or Visualization. This is a technique where the mind consciously creates positive images of situations and experiences that have beneficial effects on one’s subconscious state. Whether we visualize successfully accomplishing the steps of a task or actually achieving the goal, repeated imagery tends to decrease stress while enabling the mind to become competent in the task of achieving the goal. Similarly, if we harnessed the power of visualization to increase our devotional sentiments, the mind would successfully decrease stress. This is the practice of Roop-Dhyan as taught by Jagadguru Shree Kripalu ji Maharaj. Here, we visualize interacting with the personal form of God or Guru by reflecting on their divine pastimes, serving them in our minds, and expressing deep devotional and loving sentiments. This is a definite stress-buster technique!