Mental Health Care

Stress management simply aims at training your thoughts and actions and being in control of your self A positive mindset, perseverance and self-belief are the first pre­requisites to overcome stress, but the game plan also includes developing a social support group, using appropriate behavioural and mental techniques to relax, and turning to time ­tested formula of exercise, balanced diet, sleep, regular dose of humour, and recreation sports to dissipate stress. Let us see how:

Develop Positive Mental Coping Mechanisms

A positive mental and emotional approach towards life situations can help you cope with stress. You just have got to believe in self and hold that you can control much of all that happens to you. Researchers have found that people who hold a positive attitude about their abilities, do not get easily frustrated, remain optimistic, and persevere. They tend to cope well with stress. On the other hand, negative personality traits, such as low self-esteem and an outlook of gloom and negativity can trip people even if they have everything working in their favour. Bolster your psychological defence by equipping your self with the following mental strategies:

Think positive. For long, it has been asserted in Vedanta that our thoughts become reality. We are what we think. It is simple. If we think gloomy and negative thoughts, we feel miserable and unhappy. If we think anxious thoughts, we become tense and nervous. Conversely; if we think healthy thoughts, we feel happy. A positive self-talk that focuses on our capabilities and inner strengths eases stress, while a negative self-talk can push back even geniuses.

Set realistic goals. Setting our goals unrealistically high invites failure. Take a reality check. Assess your strengths, abilities and resources before deciding on the goals. Think big, but be pragmatic. Overstepping your limits can only lead to disappointment, frustration, and stress.

Prepare adequately. Plan your work in a step-by-step manner. Specify your target and work out all the details. Rehearse in your mind what the job will require of you. Then divide the target into small accomplishable tasks. While finalizing the plan, also keep an allowance for some extra time and expense. Events beyond your control will happen and jeopardise your planning, and if you account for them, it is easy on the nerves.

Prioritize. Concentrate on what’s important. Decide on your priorities and concentrate on the things most important to you. If more jobs come your way, do not take them unless you are comfortable.

A polite regret sometimes works better. A polite ‘no’ is much better than failing to deliver later. If you have too many things on your hands, do not add to your stress by accepting another job. It is wrong to think that another person will feel offended if you are honest.

A wishy-washy attitude gets you nowhere. Psychologists have found that people use two broad types of coping behaviours to triumph over stress: problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping. The goal of both is to control stress level. In problem-focused coping, people try to short-circuit negative emotions by taking some action to modify, avoid, or minimize the threatening situation. They adapt themselves to deal with the stressful situation. In emotion-focused coping, people try to moderate or eliminate unpleasant emotions through mechanisms that may not be ideal. For example, faced with a difficult situation you might prepare yourself and deal with it or conversely, indulge in wishful thinking and deny the situation. Both approaches may ease your immediate stress, but relief is temporary if you adopt the latter strategy.

To understand these responses, consider the example of a biochemistry student who is due to appear for his final examinations. He knows he must get top grades in order to have a chance at acceptance to the PhD programme. This situation is a potential source of stress. To cope, he could devote himself fully to master the course materials systematically (problem-focused coping). Or he may take a wishy­washy attitude and watch television for hours on end to prevent having to think about or study for the exams (emotion-focused coping).

Dissipate your anger healthily. If you experience anger, it needs to be expressed, but carefully. Count to 10, compose yourself and respond in an effective manner. Give the provoker the benefit of the doubt, and if you still feel aggrieved, make it known without attacking the other person. Let him know about your disagreement with tact and positive communication skills.

At the same time, also learn the art of forgiving. It has a positive psychological value for you. It makes your inner self glow, lowers your blood pressure and heart rate, and your breathing calms.

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