Combating Stress

Stress is becoming more evident in our daily lives. A factor that influences our well-being in a negative way. Here you'll discover how to combat stress the Ayurvedic way. 

Each one of us is confronted with stress or a stressful situation at least once in our lifetime. Whether the effects of stress lead to fatigue, worry, headaches, sleeping disorders or relationship problems, these have a negative impact on our health and well-being. 

But don't fret, Ayurveda provides some useful tips on how to combat stress effectively. We have listed a few down below: 

Restore your natural balance

Are you constantly running from one activity or task to the next? Do you often have a feeling that there are not enough hours in the day to achieve what you set out to do? This reduces our emotional resilience and leads to sadness, feeling aggravated or caged in. 

Time-related stress occurs when we loose touch of our inner needs. We chase after external goals and an internal imbalance is the result thereof. Our mind wants to follow a goal but our body is too weak to perform.

In this instance it helps most people restore a connect to themselves. Meditation, Tai Chi or Yoga are good at easing the mind and restoring balance mentally and physically, which in turn builds resistance against stress. 

Allow yourself a period of recovery when worn out. 

Even though we are constantly telling ourselves that we do not have the time, it is vital to give our mind, body and spirit a period of time to recover. Only when you take the time to rest and recover, can you restore and replenish what was lost and tackle the new day with vitality. Recovery has a medically effective effect on us. 

What's important to note it to incorporate these recovery phases into our daily lives. This can be achieved by reducing any distractions, which in turn helps us to complete our tasks in a timely fashion. Setting priorities and delegating tasks are also viable solutions. 

Once we have managed to create a period of recovery - even if only for a few minutes - we can take a walk, stare out of the window for a few moments or simply close your eyes and think pleasant thoughts. 

 Train the body while the mind rests

Sporting activities reduce stress and increase relaxation. Even a short walk first thing in the morning for 15 minutes can help restore inner peace of mind. Circulation gains momentum and our mood improves, which helps us take on our daily routine. Even minor physical exercise can help reduce stress. To achieve this, simply focus on the task at hand. 

This balances our mental and physical energy. It is, however, important to not overexert yourself. Only half of our daily energy supply should be used a day. The rest should be kept safely tucked away. If we overexert ourselves, mentally and/or physically, we run the risk of forgoing the positive effects of exercise. 

Proper nutrition

Stress creates free radicals and influences our emotional condition, immune system and heart. The food we consume can have a positive effect. Fruit and vegetable nourish the body and help to reduce stress. Antioxidants protect the body against free radicals making us more resistance to stress, fatigue and illness. 

Sleep 

Lack of sleep often lead to a chain reaction of negative effects such as fatigue, indigestion, loss of appetite and low performance and creativity. This leads to our body and mind being forced to slow down and we require more time to complete the tasks at hand. To avoid this, Ayurveda recommends enjoying a light dinner, well cooked, at least 3 hours before you retire for bed. Take an evening stroll or listen to relaxing music. Various herbs and rasayanas help lull us to sleep. 

Conclusion

When we know better, we do better - this is played out through the decisions we decide to act upon on a daily basis. We choose activities that may increase or reduce our stress levels. What matters most, is making the right decision in a conscious manner, ensuring emotional balance and well-being.