In today's world of growing competition, we require to work
real hard to meet the goals we are assigned to.
Steady performance, time management, competitions, etc., are fast
becoming our main focus and in this process, at the end of the day, we are
totally exhausted, fatigued, and to some extent irritable and we tend to
overlook the importance of maintaining a fitness regime. In order to keep up with the competitive
world, one not only requires mental energy but also needs to have physical
ability. Majority of the young
professionals are suffering from lifestyle diseases. Long morning walks are a good exercise
option, but one should take them seriously.
It is necessary that the activity an individual is pursuing should be
enjoyed by them. Similar is the case
with exercising; you should enjoy the exercise you do and not just do it for
the heck of it. One should understand
the meaning of exercise and the reason behind doing it. It is necessary that even if you have a
hectic schedule, you should be able to manage your time and give your body an adrenaline rush it requires. To overcome
this so called job-created mental stress, most people are turning to relaxation
techniques, exploring them and trying to apply them in their daily life.
Below are some of the techniques that you can follow to calm yourself down, attain good health, have a sound mind, improve your personality and believe me they are really helpful.
Afternoon Nap
It is a
well-known fact that one's level of alertness is very high in the morning and gradually
decreases as the day goes on. You feel
more fatigued and sleepy especially in the afternoon right after lunch and you
keep on yawning. Power nap at this
moment in time is really helpful, but when you are in the office, can you
really take a power nap? The answer is NO,
as your boss is not providing you a bed in the office. But do not curse yourself for not being at home
to be able to take a nap. Take my advice
and follow this simple technique. Sit in your chair with your back straight, place your hands on your lap or on top of your
knees, close your eyes, concentrate on the tip of the nose or at the center of
the eyebrows, inhale and exhale deeply and as slowly as you can and keep doing
this for 10 to 15 minutes or more if you can.
You can use a timer if you want and set it for a specific period of time
per your choice. In this period of
calmness, feel that your tiredness is slowly moving away from your mind and body,
feel that each and every part of your body is relaxed and you feel a sense of
calmness within yourself. After that,
slowly open your eyes, go to washroom, wash your face and eyes properly. By now, I am sure you are much refreshed,
energized, and rejuvenated and will be so for the rest of the day till late evening. If you work from home, you can do the same by
sitting in a chair or you can do it by lying flat on your bed. When you do it in bed, you may also actually
go into a deep slumber for a minute or two but that is not a problem. Many famous people like Winston Churchill,
Napoleon Bonaparte, John F. Kennedy, and Thomas Edison used to take a nap
during the day. Napoleon could take a
nap right before battle and even when cannons were booming nearby. Thomas Edison slept only three or four hours
at night and took a couple of three-hour naps during the day. He could go to sleep anywhere, anytime, on
anything. Indeed, he would often curl up
for his naps on a workbench or in a closet.
So, by now you must have realized the importance and benefits of taking
a short nap during the day.
Physical Exercise and Meditation
Try to
exercise and meditate regularly. Early
morning exercise and meditation can make you go whole day long without feeling
tired or fatigued. Physical exercises
like jogging, walking, crunch, lifting weights, etc., are good for physical
health. But from my experience, I can
tell you for sure that mental exercise is also as important as physical
exercises. After doing physical
exercises, always meditate for at least 15 minutes and your fatigue caused
by physical exercises will vanish immediately and it will make your mind and
body rejuvenated. To mediate, just sit
on a cushion with your back straight and your legs crossed. You can sit in any comfortable position, just
make sure your back is always straight.
Now, keep your hands on your lap or on top of the knees, close your
eyes, concentrate on the tip of the nose or at the center of the eyebrows,
inhale and exhale as deeply and slowly as you can. Keep doing this for at least 15 minutes, but
to start with, you can do it for 2 minutes, then gradually increase your
time. This combination of physical exercise
followed by meditation works really well and if practiced regularly it will
definitely make you not only energized, well rested, and revived but also cheerful,
zealous, happy, and merry minded.
Sleep
Early to bed
and early to rise makes you healthy, wealthy, and wise. So true!!, isn't it? Most people remember to get up early and to
do so they also set the alarm clock accordingly, but they forget to go to bed
early and when the alarm clock rings in the morning, they simply put it off and
go to sleep immediately. I find many
people doing this mistake. I think first
they should make the habit of going to bed early so that they can get up
early. At least, 8-10 hours of sound sleep
is necessary for you to feel calm and well rested for the entire day.
Laughter
Laughter is
a wonderful stress reliever and helps the body to relax tense muscles. It
releases chemicals in the body that reduce tension and pain. Always try to be in a jovial mood.
Music
Listening to
calming music helps to calm and focus the mind regardless of age. Load your cellphone/laptop with music and
songs that you love and listen to them as often as you can. It will help release your mental stress.
Physical Checkup
Regular
physical checkup is also important. You
may feel low and not refreshed due to some physical ailment or some
irregularities in your blood level. A
while ago, one of my friends' wives was suffering from morning sickness for a
long time. Physically she looked fit and
healthy, but when she visited a doctor, he gave her some blood tests to be
performed and when the results came back, it was noted that her hemoglobin level
was far below normal. The doctor
prescribed her some medicine to take for a month and within 15 days the
morning sickness was gone and she was much happier than ever. So, if you are suffering from some physical
ailments like indigestion, gastritis, insomnia, even cough and cold, stomach
pain, etc., do not hesitate to consult a doctor.
Avoid Smoking/Drinking
Always
refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol.
Smokers argue that smoking helps them relax, but in reality it does just
the opposite. It is observed that stress
level in smokers and drinkers are higher than those in nonsmokers and
nondrinkers. Cigarettes are well known
to increase the heart rate and the blood pressure, which exacerbates stress. Too much alcohol consumption causes cirrhosis
- a fatal liver disease. Quitting these
habits is not easy but try to gradually decrease the consumption of these in
order to attain good physical health and to feel relaxed. Nowadays over-the-counter nicotine gums are
available in the market and are helpful for the smokers to kick this habit for
good. Always remember - a sound mind dwells in a
sound body. Smoking kills and if you are
a smoker you are killing the other family members too as you have made them passive
smokers by smoking at home. Sooner you
realize this truth better for you.
Eating Habit
Good eating
habit plays a vital role in keeping the body and mind sound and active. Follow what you have been hearing from your
childhood - the famous proverb - Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a
prince, and dine like a pauper. Breakfast
is the most important meal of the day, so try never to skip it. Include lots of fruits, green leafy vegetables,
cereal, milk, egg, etc., in your diet. Do
not eat too much at one go, watch your portion sizes, always eat small
amounts. Studies have shown that eating
less actually can boost brain power and help remember more. Drink a lot of water during the day but in an
empty stomach, always. Do not drink much
fluid while having food or right after food as it causes constipation and takes
a lot of time for the body to digest foods that you have consumed.
Fasting
Fast at
least once or twice in a month. Fasting
cleanses your liver, kidneys and colon, purifies your blood, helps you lose
excess weight and water, flushes out toxins, clears the eyes and tongue, and
cleanses the breath. For fasting,
following this method: After waking up in the morning, drink a glass of water,
do not eat anything for at least 8-10 hours, drink only water every 2
hours. Break the fast by drinking a
glass of juice in the evening and eat a very light meal. At dinner also, take a very light meal
and go to sleep.
Do What You Like Most
Do whatever
makes you feel happy. You are spending most
of your time in office, to earn of course, but that is a monotonous activity
that you always do. Spare some time for
yourself. Do every little things that can
make you happy - traveling, taking photographs, reading, cooking, hanging out
with friends, calling them, and so on. As for myself, I enjoy photography a lot and it really eases my stress and anxiety. Life is very short, so take the most out of it whenever, wherever, and whatever
way possible. Always be positive and
always take the good things that come in your way. The best way to make yourself happy is to
make others happy too. If they are
smiling, you are smiling. If they are
sad, you are sad too. A little gift on
occasions like birthday, marriage anniversary, religious holidays, etc., can
make your parents, siblings, and others happy and in that process the
surrounding you stay will also bloom with happiness, joy, and bliss and your
life will become more happier, merrier, and more contented than ever.
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