Page 44 - Ai Book - 10

your body react the same way. As a result, your body’s natural alarm system may be stuck in the ON position.
And that can have serious consequences for your health.
Even minor stress can have an impact. You might get an upset stomach before you have to give a presentation.
Just imagine what effect a major acute stress can have on your health.

When stress starts interfering with your ability to live a normal life for an extended period, it becomes risky. The
longer the stress lasts, the worse it is for both your mind and body. You might feel fatigued, unable to concentrate
or irritable for no good reason. The chronic stress causes wear and tear on your body, too.

Reducing your stress levels cannot only make you feel better right now, but may also protect your health long-
term. If your body remains under stress for a long period of time, the response to stress begins to take a toll
on the body. One of the prime targets affected is the thymus gland placed above the heart behind the breast
bone. It plays a key role in the immune system of the body. A weakened immune system makes us vulnerable
to infection and thus people under stress often experience regular attacks of colds and flu. So in order to keep
healthy, it is important to keep stress at bay.
Some of the stress management techniques are:

u Adopt a Healthy Lifestyle: You can increase your resistance to stress by strengthening your physical health.
Adopting a healthy lifestyle helps in maintaining good physical health.
u Eat a Healthy Diet: Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress, so start your day with
healthy breakfast, and keep your energy up with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day.

u Get Enough Sleep: Adequate sleep fuels your mind as well as your body. Feeling tired will increase your
stress because it may cause you to think irrationally.

u Physical Exercise: A common sign of getting stressed is that your muscles contract leading to headache, back
pain, muscle pull and high blood pressure. It is very important to exercise regularly. Physical activity plays a
key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. Make time for at least 30 minutes of exercise, three
times per week. Nothing beats aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up stress and tension.

u Yoga: Yoga is another form of exercise. It has all sorts of exercises – physical exercise, breathing patterns
and meditation. Yoga keeps the mind and body relaxed and healthy. Depending upon your physical fitness,
choose the yogasanas and do them regularly for better physical and mental health.

u Meditation: Meditation helps in enhancing our mind power. Regular meditation brings peace and calm to
mind and composure to the body. By doing meditation every day, we can manage day-to-day stress besides
meditation, relaxing the muscles by deep breathing, lying down with closed eyes is also a good idea to deal
with stress.

Healthy Ways to Relax and Recharge

z Go for a walk. z Enjoy a warm cup of coffee or tea.
z Spend time in nature. z Play with a pet.
z Call a good friend. z Work in your garden.
z Sweat out tension with a good workout. z Get a massage.
z Write in your journal. z Curl up with a good book.
z Take a long bath. z Listen to music.
z Light scented candles. z Watch a comedy.

u Spending time with Family and Friends: Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can
reduce stress in your life by nurturing yourself. If you regularly make time for fun and relaxation, you’ll be in
a better place to handle life’s stressors when they inevitably come.

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