Ten steps for stress-free living

1. Control your mind

The cause of stress is your mind, not the external world. You have the switch to control your thoughts. You can turn it on or off. The first step towards stress-free living is not to let the mind take control of you. You are not the mind but you have a mind to work for you. Use it as you would a pair of glasses to see the world.

2. Accept the universal law

Accept the universal law as you may not understand everything that happens around you. You have control over your action but not on the result. Once you have performed the action, accept the result as the result is subject to universal law.

3. Plan your time

Time pressure is an important factor for stress. Think before committing your time. Your time is in your control. The President of a country and a gardener has the same 24 hours with them in a day. How you spend your time makes the difference. Allocate time for admiring nature, physical exercise and family.

4. Face the unacceptable

 Change what you can and accept what you cannot change. Pray whenever you face a difficult situation. Prayer gives you the strength to face the unacceptable and accept it. Listen to contrary views. Learn from opponents as they may have better ideas.

5. Don’t procrastinate

 Procrastination is a major cause of burden. Take up most difficult work first and complete it. Rest will be easy. Delegate work to deserving people around you; don’t try to do everything by yourself.

6. Live in harmony

 Living in harmony is human nature. Understand the needs of the people around you and help them. Just a smiling face and a hello will do wonders. You can melt even stones by your kindness and care.

7. Enjoy your role

Remember that you are always playing a role as father, son, manager, customer, consumer etc. Just play the role and enjoy the role. You have no stress when you know that you are different from the role.

8. Act, don’t react

 Act as per the demand of situation, do not react. Anger is a sign of weakness. It reflects the incapacity of the mind to face difficult situations. When anger and irritation grows into hatred, mind cannot relax. You can be stern in dealing with a situation but should not develop hatred. A strong mind withstands displeasure and discomfort.

9. Meditate

 Meditate by allotting time for yourself and bring your mind under your control. Think of the vast sky and stars, your problems will just vanish. Whenever any incident makes you unpleasant, imagine that it happened many years ago and at a faraway place. Time and distance have strong impact on my mind. Remember everything passes; anything that came must also go.

10. Sleep

 No one has ever complained of stress while sleeping. Sleep does the magic and you feel it when you are awake after a sound sleep. Make it a habit to sleep in time and rise early in the morning to have stress- free day, every day.

-Arasu Ramanujam