It started in 2021, and the relentless trend continues. Throughout that year, every one of my clients voiced their concerns about escalating stress and anxiety. The situation further deteriorated in 2022, and as of now, there hasn’t been any improvement. My understanding of the science behind stress is largely shaped by the insights of Robert Sapolsky. As for coping mechanisms, my knowledge on stress management is rooted in the principles of yoga. The following is a concise overview for the benefit of everyone.

Stress and anxiety have become a common concern for all corporate employees and entrepreneurs. However, so many people are unaware that they are chronically stressed. Stress is a natural state that enables us to move and act. It becomes chronic when we elicit stress response on a daily basis as if everything is a matter of life or death. Chronic stress shows up as poor sleep , ailments such as hypertension or diabetes , digestive issues , hormonal imbalances, low energy and exhaustion. If you have one or more of these, it is very likely that you are running on a state of chronic stress. Middle management are more prone to stress due to high demand and low control. 

I remember an ex colleague of mine commenting on a middle level manager that that stress had become a lifestyle to the manager and that he didn’t know any other way to operate.  Have you worked under a boss that was constantly stressed? It’s likely that you picked up on their stress too. Work environments including bosses create or add to stress in team members. Home environments do the same. It starts early in the womb. An anxious parenting style or prenatal stress predisposes one to stress. As an adult the person may do well with the first couple of major stressful events, but will be thrown off-gear with the third or the 4th stressful event.

Why did biology create stress if it so bad? Not all stress is bad. Short term stress is actually good as it gives us motivation , increases memory and concentration, improves immunity. However, it comes at some cost in the form of body resources (sugar, salt and water). Our body spends resources from its budget on a stress response as it spends on other activities. Stress becomes chronic and expensive when we elicit the stress response again and again that the cost of stress is higher than the benefits until there are no more benefits. The stress responses tending to chronic states are often elevated by psycho-social stressors such as thoughts, emotions and memories. Anything that puts one in a state of stress is a stressor. Physical stressors affect the body budget as much as psycho-social stressors. However, one might not perceive the cost paid to psycho-social stressors and hence, put oneself in a constant chronic state of stress.

What is the cost of stress? The penultimate cost is premature death. There are other health costs one pays in the form of hypertension, diabetes, anxiety, depression, addiction , obesity, sexual dysfunction, auto immune disorders, reduced cognitive capacity, pre-mature ageing.

The silver lining is that stress can be mitigated and managed to a large extent. To mitigate stress, there are several coping mechanisms. 

• Every time we are stressed, our body releases cortisol that helps to release energy. This energy needs to be acted out. Screaming maybe better than repressing the tension within. It is not the best way to act out though. Taking a few steps forward works the same way to release the energy. It is an action one can do even in the heat of the moment. A forward movement is the key
• Working out especially voluntarily without force or pressure is the best way to act out. Both cardio and anaerobic exercises help manage stress. The key is consistency , exercising at least 3-5 times a week for 30-45 mins each time helps to minimise stress
• Meditation of 20 minutes daily rewires the brain to switch to parasympathetic state which is the opposite of stress state. It is a state that repairs, aids in growth and reproduction, puts unused energy back. Pranayama and Yoga Nidra work the same way in the brain. An ideal practise is a combination of all three on a regular basis.
• Having a sense of control for mild to moderate stressors is good. If it is a disastrous stressor like an accident, it is better to decrease the sense of control. Having a routine gives us a sense of control even when things are extremely uncertain. Doing things that we can actually control like wearing a mask in crowded areas gives us a sense of control
• Predictability is good in some cases to minimise stress. If you know that certain events will make you stressful, having information about how long will it last, when will it occur will help you cope better. For example: information about traffic blockades in advance with time and duration reduces traffic induced stress. It works best for common stressors.
• Social support helps to cope with psycho-social stressors. Having friends or family to mope alleviates mental and emotional stress. Build a social support with people that care about you as a person and are invested in your well-being. One needs to invest time and energy to build and maintain relationships to form a circle of social support
• In dealing with stress, one also needs to have the cognitive flexibility to change when a strategy doesn’t work. One needs to recognise anti patterns and course correct. This requires us to be tuned into body budget withdrawals. A journal is a good way to gauge what works and what doesn’t.
• Above all, one needs to accept things that cannot be changed and have the courage to change the things that can be changed. Focusing on own circle of control and taking first steps to remove stressors goes a long way. Put down things and categories what is in circle of control vs what is outside of circle of control to change what can be changed.

To manage stress, we need to train the nervous system to use stress in the right way and balance our body resources

• Using stress in the right way naturally happens in play. We let go of control and predictability and  have fun. It releases dopamine that helps us feel motivated and happy. Indulging in regular play teaches our body to feel stress without the adverse effects
• Religious and spiritual seeking before the occurrence of stressors help to prevent stress. Develop a spiritual or religious practise that suits your belief and value system
• Adjusting daily activities to balance body budget helps manage stress. To do this,  list down all the activities that you do in a day , analyse what takes away energy and what gives energy . Increase activities that give energy and decrease activities that take energy. Some activities like exercise take energy, but also give more energy than they take. The goal is to have a balance of withdrawals and deposits, if not more deposits
• Training nervous system through yoga nidra, pranayama and meditation rewire the brain to deal with new stressors, so that when you do get hit by stress, the effect is dampened due to the nervous system being more resilient
• Ice baths are a new age way to train the nervous system. Pushing the body’s limits in safe conditions under the guidance of proper teachers is the way to go

Stress is here to stay. We cannot avoid stress. We can become resilient by changing our daily habits and designing a lifestyle to manage stress.