Stress is a dreaded four letter word that has become a generational curse for us. We are constantly multitasking, running on the hamster's wheel from morning until night. Following our daily hustle, stress is inevitable.

It is important, however, to understand the root cause of our anxiety, mood swings and work consciously to balance it. Irrespective of your age and schedule, you deserve a stress free life. Rather than waiting for a complete breakdown, start winning every day with small changes.

Our expert this week at The Learning Lobby, Dr. Preeti Chawla has made it easy for us to understand the meaning of stress and measures to control it in the best possible way.

What is stress?

In simple words, stress is our immediate response to a situation that may seem overwhelming to us. For different people this threshold may differ. For instance some may find Mathematics stressful and others may find public speaking difficult. At any point when we have to exert beyond our capacity we feel stressed or overwhelmed.

• Chronic anxiety
• Constantly overthinking about a situation
• Inability to rest or focus on one task
• Living in constant fear

Ways to manage stress

Prepare in advance

Last minute hussle will always bring with it a fair share of stressors, if you are aware of certain events and their respective timelines then it is best to create a schedule that you can stay true to. Take small steps daily to improve your overall performance and be flexible enough to make last minute changes.

Identify your weaknesses

Awareness of your weaknesses and strengths will take you a long way. Instead of fretting and fearing the outcome, take help to polish your weaker areas and make the most of your stronger points. Each one of us are unique in our talents and skillsets, the best way to feel comfortable in your skin is to move out of your comfort zone, one step at a time.

Take up a daily hobby

It could be something as simple as colouring a sketch or watering plants. Spare an hour everyday to enjoy what you love doing. The leisure time will put your mind at ease and will also help you rejuvenate yourself.

Have a friend or confidante to communicate with

Stress and anxiety can work in notorious ways to cook up situations that may never even happen. Instead of worrying alone, find someone to confide in. It could be your parent, a sibling or even a professional therapist. A different perspective will help you look at things from a different lens. At times you may realise your problems can be solved more easily than you think.

Keep a record of your small achievements

We are always focused on the bigger picture but at times lose sight of the small strides that we are taking in that direction. Be aware of your daily accomplishments, at times they may be seemingly small like staying true to your exercise schedule but they are achievements nevertheless.

It is important to live in a way that is true to yourself and be vocal about your feelings. It is believed that as we grow older, we find more and more things that stress us out. This doesn’t have to be entirely true, by learning to manage your emotions at an early age you can create an environment that is conducive to your growth and that of others.

Loved reading this? Our latest initiative ‘The Learning Lobby’ brings together experts that can help you overcome trivial pressing issues that you may need professional assistance for. Check out the entire session here: https://youtu.be/lfdn65KVJwc

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