As per the
dictionary definition, stress is a state of mental or emotional strain
resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances. Literally, every word used
in the definition shouts out loud enough to resonate with zillions of scenarios
we all come across in our routine lives. If we simplify it further, it’s
nothing but how we react or behave in tough/adverse situations. What if, the
definition of tough situation is liberalized, and we tune our minds to consider
the given situation as normal? So, does that mean stress is mostly a state of
mind for being in stress or in real it exists and cast shadows on our state of
mind? Is it fairly simple to be stress free or it requires some efforts to brush
it under the carpet? Does stress always harm us or whether it offers some
benefits too? Let’s not stress out to analyse its domain and try to combat it to
achieve some peace of mind.
We can’t deny
that the seeds of stress are sown from the thoughts we allow to dominate us. If
we keep feeding our minds to consider something as negative/unpleasant, there
is no way that the energy released from the feed would be on a different
tangent. If we closely try to decipher the countless moments of stress we have
experienced, one thing would be very common i.e. we were stressed because the
given scenario was labelled as unpleasant and we never tried to challenge the
stereotype. When we are about to go to the podium (veterans are exempted), why do
our heart beats skyrocket? Whenever we think of any test/exam/deadline, why does
the stress get on to our nerves and make us numb? When we commit any mistake
which could have been avoided, why are we worried as if it was the end of the
world? As and when we have to manage multiple things, why do we tend to block
our minds saying, ‘It’s gonna be a stressful day’? Well, answers to all these
questions are engraved within us but we still prefer to be in stress rather
than addressing the elephant in the room.
It might not be as
easy as it sounds but if we have to get rid of the monster, we need to stir
ourselves from the comfort zone and work towards facing it. Our actions are
aligned to the thoughts paddling inside us so the shift of focus towards our
thoughts will have direct cascading impact on our actions. If our thoughts are
dipped in stress, then it’s not possible to have our actions in an organic and
best possible way. The whole idea of diffusing the stress is to gain strength
to combat the real issue than augment it by giving rise to another one. The more
we disassociate ourselves with presuming an event as awful, more strength we
gain to take on the issue head-on. Adverse moments are the nature’s preferred
agents for inspiring change in us so instead of just worrying about it, it’s
important to crack it down and redefine it as a regular moment. If we fuel our
minds to extinguish the predefined scenarios of adversity, at the least adverse
moments should not affect us psychologically and will allow to deal with it
rationally.
Prima facie it
must sound crazy, but stress sometimes has a brighter side too which enables us
to be on our toes and take certain things with utmost seriousness. Whenever
there is a significant event like a presentation, exam, interview, deadline for
a task or a crucial meeting etc., we tend to sink our teeth to the core just
because the ticking time bomb of stress is not letting us think of anything
else. If this stress wasn’t there, probably we wouldn’t have made endeavors to
work so hard and maybe the outcome wouldn’t have been the same. So as long as
stress induces seriousness which goes in sync with the designated event, pushes
us to our limits and doesn’t control our senses; it’s no different than a
mistress. If an invisible power prompts us to think and act rationally, can we
call it our enemy? Wouldn’t we consider this superpower to be our best friend
and wish to have it with us for the rest of our lives?
One thing surely
comes out very clearly that stress can be seen as an enemy or mistress
depending on how we treat it. Stress is one of those monsters which can devour
our peace of mind without even burping but we are the owners who have the right
to decide as to how much of peace we are willing to share. Peace and stress are
mutually exclusive and if we are determinant to hold on to peace then stress
has no other option but to extinguish. It is catastrophic when we embrace
stress as is and peace has no other option but to disassociate with us. I am
sure given a choice we would hog on to peace over stress so let’s control our
peace of mind and stress be the mistress.
With this, these oxymorons will be balanced and we can comfortably snore
while we snooze on!!!
