How was the word 'stress'
coined and why do we need to 'manage' stress...explains Baaba
In today's condition from the moment we open our eyes till we go
to bed, we undergo a tremendous amount of strain.
The loud beeps
of the alarm clocks are required to wake us up every morning and
our disgust knows no bounds when the alarm clock complies. That
is when the anxiety begins to mount. Some just switch off the
clock and get back to sleep only to regret later with an upset
schedule. Others, who do get out of bed despite resistance, also
undergo strain at least for some time. Each one of us is
constantly under stress. How was the word 'stress' coined? Why
should there be stress at all? Who creates the stress?
It is we who create the stress for ourselves because we do not
understand the meaning of stress. We all want to experiment with
stress, experience stress. Try going into your sub-conscious mind
and ask yourself, you do want to test yourself, you would like to
stretch yourself and want to know your breaking point. We wish to
know what is the elasticity of stress? Why should we calculate
our shearing force and bending moment? This is human nature. A
human being would ignore all warnings and want to experiment
himself. Right from childhood, this quality is present in a human
being. You try to stop a child from touching the fire, he may pay
heed to you for a while out of fear, but the moment you are out
of sight, he wants to test whether the fire really burns.
The term "Stress management" itself gives a negative
impression. It makes you conscious that you are under stress and
you have to 'manage' the stress, which means that the stress is
not the truth. What is management? Managing something implies we
have to conceal the truth, the reality is suppressed. A person
who thinks right, who executes his work in the right manner and
at the right time, does not need to 'manage'. You have to manage
another person because he does not work in the right manner. Why
should there be stress at all? If there is no stress there is no
question of managing it. Managing itself is a stress.
Time Management
We do not believe in business ethics; we do not believe in the
right time to eat; we do not believe in the right way of living;
we want to create our own time also. God may appear to be partial
as far as allotment of money, comforts, and material possessions
are concerned, but as far as time is concerned, God has allotted
the same 24 hours to each and every human being! People are often
heard saying that they wished the day had 48 hours. No way! God
has not provided this!
This is time management - you have to manage these 24 hours of
your day to complete your work. In the work field various time
management techniques like PERT and CPM are available which allot
a fixed period for a particular job to be completed. Accounting
period is available, budgets are fixed, sales targets have to be
achieved within a particular time frame and all these departments
are interlinked. Deviation in one department immediately has an
effect on all other schedules.
We all start with time management from the day we born.
Unfortunately, unlike the work field, in our life we are neither
aware of the time provided to us, nor the finances available to
complete the project. In our life the work has to be completed
everyday, the scheduling should be for every moment. In case you
fail to complete your project, your entire schedule is delayed.
You then have to take another birth to complete the unfinished
work. Time management does not stretch over several years, the
time has to be efficiently managed because every moment is
valuable. Most of us are unaware of our karmas or the project to
be completed in this life, we keep piling or postponing small
jobs, which builds up the tension and creates stress in us. The
principle is the same whether it is the work field or your
personal life - delay in execution of the scheduled work is the
cause of stress in life. In order to relieve stress, time
management is equally important. If we can tackle this
efficiently, 50% of the stress is taken care of.
HOW DO WE CREATE STRESS
A small exercise will help us identify how we create our own
stress. Let us divide management into three divisions:
Automatic self-critical thought/Cognitive
distortion/Rational response
Most people, be it a businessman or an executive, during the
process of working have some thoughts and expectations and these
thoughts are which make us function. Our life is totally guided
by our own thoughts and these thoughts are created by our
education, by our background and by the experiences accumulated
by us either in this janma or any previous janma. Upanishads
refer to this as kaarya-kaarana (cause and effect). Cause is the
reason why you execute a karma. If you do not execute your karma
in the right manner, you are creating a kaarana for another
kaarya. It may not be necessarily for execution of that
particular work; they create the reason for eliminating the
reason so you have to execute further karma in order to release
that karma. While executing a job, if you do not create any
further cause, there is no further karma to be executed. While
working on a project report, unknowingly you commit a lot of
mistakes. Now to eliminate those mistakes, you have to execute
further jobs and this is called creating a cause. This is how we create stress.
Another small example will clarify this cause and effect
principle. According to the Government rules and regulations you
are not supposed to construct a building beyond 50 ft but you
turn a blind eye to the laws and complete the construction with a
2-feet protrusion. The concerned executive cannot ignore it and you
are asked to demolish the extension. You created a cause for a kaarya and now you have to execute a wrong kaarya to remove the
cause. This may linger on for a number of lives. This leads to stress.
Automatic self-critical thought: most of us indulge in negative
thinking right from the inception of a new project. The first
thought itself is whether you would attain success. You approach
a consultant who is an equally critical thinker because he can be
a consultant only to you. If he were to start a project he would
approach another consultant. If he can advise others, why not
himself? Each one of is a critical thinker, we are born in such
an era. In kaliyuga only negative thoughts prevail though it is
possible to be in sathyayuga while living in kaliyuga. Time is a
status of mind. A production manager's thoughts and actions are
directed only on how to increase production. He is not concerned
about sales and would try to utilize the machines to the end
capacity. His thoughts are concerned with managing his own
department.
The first lesson in management is to learn to manage yourself. If
you cannot manage yourself it is not possible to manage an
organization. If you cannot manage yourself and try to manage a
sub-ordinate, you become a part of criticism amongst the staff. A
group of people are also critical about their own thoughts and
ideas. These are called critical or negative thoughts.
Cognitive distortion is when you exaggerate the personalities or
over estimate the work.
Rational response is the reality.
Now honestly fill up these columns. Think of two major projects
that you have been wanting to execute. The final rational
response should bring out the following:
1. What are the problems you foresee
2. What are your first thoughts on that
3. What are the prospects you see.
Normally, we estimate problems, which cannot be solved by us. The
moment we decide that it is a problem, the mind trains and tones
itself not to solve them. If you do not want to execute a
particular job, you always identify a problem in that job. For
example, due to reasons beyond your control, either because you
need financial assistance or because you want to avoid certain
responsibilities, you are compelled to take a partner in your
business. This is not what you want and hence your mind only has
negative thoughts about a partner. It is your sub-conscious mind,
which does not allow you to accept the thought of taking a
partner. You do not want to face the situation and hence present
it as a problem. The sub-conscious mind identifies it as problem
throughout the life. Since your thoughts are negative right from
the beginning, throughout the business life, that partner will
always remain a problem to you. When a finished product comes out
of the factory and you identify that it has a certain problem,
even when it is rectified, your mind cannot accept that the
problem has been solved. Such is the human mind and these cause
stress.
Positive thinking can eliminate the thought of a problem itself,
hence the first column can be eliminated. Consequently, the
automatic self-critical thought is eliminated. A distorted mind
leads to exaggeration, which also has to be done away with. The
last column containing the rational response is a compromise.
What is reality? None of us know the reality. We always conclude
that if we get something what we desire we shall be happy because
we are not willing to undertake further responsibility. This is
rational response.
Compete with yourself, you should be better than your yesterday. Acceptance
level is very low. The mind becomes used to getting tensed and the mind looks
for getting tensed. You are tensed because you are not relaxed. Mind is an
abstract. Thoughts alone do not create the mind. It is a combination of thoughts
and emotions. A disturbed mind takes wrong decisions whereas a peaceful mind can
take the right decisions. Stress starts after you have studied the whole night
and you are unable to remember what you have studied. The forgetfulness is due
to the preoccupation of the mind. When you study something the memory cells are
created and they become active when you evoke them. It is like opening a file on
your computer. Be ambitious, dream but it should not interfere in your work. You
always compare your efforts with your dream which increases stress. Do not allow
dreams to interfere with karmas. Let the karmas interfere with the dreams so
that expectations are based on karmas. Karmas are reality and the dreams are
expectations of mind combined with or based on karmas. Technology should not
make an inferior you. Give your best and do not carry guilt that your efforts
were insufficient. If you have made a mistake unknowingly, either correct it if
you are able to, otherwise just move ahead. The negative emotions secrete in the
hormones and create problems.
We can compare our Vedic science with today's modern business
technology. According to Vedic science, the self-criticism is
tamoguna, over estimation is rajoguna and the rational response
is satoguna. None of the three situations are the truth, they are
expectations or estimations. Once you jot down your expectations,
you would strive to attain only those expectations and not look
beyond them. You thus create a tremendous amount of stress
because you thought this was rational thinking, and that you have
created satoguna. You have to overcome even this and reach the
turiyavasthaa, which is the only truth. It is not possible to
reach the truth unless you know what is the truth.
HOW DO WE COMBAT STRESS
At the thought level:
What is profit and what is loss in business? Does more money mean
profit? Can profits be calculated only in terms of monetary
gains? The word profit may have diverse implications. The
reputation of an organization is also a gain even it means some
monetary loss. A healthy organization is a balance of various
factors: what products it manufactures, what is the reputation of
the company, how does it stand against competition, how
efficiently is the quality controlled. If you manufacture a
stethoscope and launch it in the market, people should ask for it
by the brand name. The image of the product is your biggest
profit. In the long run this is what fetches money. In our
thoughts also we should maintain quality control.
Kaizen mentions that a person who thinks qualitatively alone can
produce qualitative products. If you are determined to produce a
quality product, the process starts thereon. If you slacken in
your efforts even slightly, the finished product will not be of
the desired quality. The thoughts start the process but we always
give an allowance to the thought. While designing a bolt and nut,
the stress created on the structure is calculated, the shearing
force is considered, the diameter of the nut is calculated, and
based on all these the design is made. In spite of these you give
an allowance of +_ 1-mm on the pitch and the thread. Why is an
allowance given? This allowance is given for human error and not
machine error. It is also called an allowance for 'human error'.
The machine maintains the right thread and pitch, it is the human
mind which creates the error and transmits the thoughts into
action or process. This is at the design stage, then the
manufacturer gives another 1% allowance and the inspector gives
another 1%. This makes it a total of 3% error and this loss of
efficiency of the product is the ultimate users loss. The reason
is just our negative thoughts right from the inception of a
project. Lack of quality consciousness causes stress which
emphasizes the importance of qualitative thoughts.
In any organization, the correct analysis of the unit has to be
done. These call for identification of the organization,
identification of the work process involved, identification of
the responsibilities. When we take our own decisions, without
proper knowledge, we create stress. We are not even aware what we
are supposed to do and how to go about it. How can one identify
which project would be successful, from where to obtain the facts
which would help you to take a decision - dilemmas like these
create the initial stress for an organization. Lack of knowledge
leads to stress and lack of knowledge stems from lack of
confidence. Merely having some idea about a project does not give
confidence to take the plunge.
The main causes for stress in any organization today are:
· Identifying the right project
· Managing it the right way
· Finances
· Man management or industrial relations
The first three can be controlled within limits, man management
is the toughest. If you are too lenient and grant too many
facilities to the people, it would create problems and so would
fewer facilities. The right grants at the right time is the
solution. Identifying problems of a particular individual and
helping him to overcome them gives a personal touch and makes him
feel a part of the organization. Man management becomes important
since we do not have faith on each other. Relationship means
faith. When a father and son do not get along how can we expect
two strangers to adjust to each other and work in cohesion?
Secondly, the delegation of responsibilities is absolutely
necessary. Even in the human body the work is distributed based
on identification. The responsibility to hold the glass has to be
given to the hand, because the leg cannot do that. That means if
you identify wrong, you delegate wrong. After delegation, you
should believe that the work allotted would be carried out
efficiently. When we work against these, we create stress. You
should learn to manage yourself and not interfere in others' work
once you have delegated jobs. If you have instructed your right
hand to hold the glass, suddenly if you want the left hand to do
so, and try to switch it, you may lose the glass altogether.
Hence, identify properly before you delegate.
Lack of confidence also gives rise to stress. You should have the
confidence in your own capabilities. If you have the same
facilities like others, there is no reason why you cannot
manufacture the same quality. Encourage yourself, encourage
others. People can make mistakes, but do not carry them with you
indefinitely. Do not repeat them but do not cry over it either.
These are stress-relieving points.
At the physical and mental level
How to relieve the stress? In a two-day workshop, several
exercises are taught which help you to increase your confidence
level which in turn help you to identify your self and identify
the problems confronting you. To attend such a workshop your mind
should be absolutely free of routine jobs.
Several daily practices can help you to tackle stress to a great
extent:
Praanaayam: There are 21 types of praanaayam but a simple one is
enough to start with. Wake up early morning and in Brahmamuhurtha
(between 3 AM and 6 AM) one should practice praanaayam. Sit in
dhyana mudra facing east (because energy flows from east to west)
either in sukhaasana, padmaasana or ardha padmaasana. People with
problems in knees can also sit on the chair with their feet
firmly on the ground though not directly on the floor. A mat or a
small carpet should be kept below the feet. Take slow rhythmic
deep breath known as diaphragmatic breathing - when you breathe
in your stomach should bulge out and when you breathe out, your
stomach should go in. Keep your eyes closed and concentrate on
your breathing. As the breath goes in visualize bright white
light entering through your nostrils and spreading within your
body. If you have any physical problems, you can direct this
energy to that particular area and visualize that the problem is
flushed out. While breathing out visualize black clouds coming
out which means the system is being cleansed. Practice this 21
times every morning.
The word praanaayam comprises of praana or oxygen and yaama or
travelling. This means oxygen or tremendous amount of energy
travels through your nervous system. When this happens, all the nadis are filled up with this energy thereby increasing the
vibrational frequency in the electromagnetic field. This leads to
positive thinking, negative thoughts are expelled and the system
calms down. A calm mind can take the right decisions; a disturbed
or a preoccupied mind always takes the wrong decisions. A person
can think of only one thing at a time. The duration of that
particular thought has to be increased which can be done through
deep breathing.
You can take deep long breaths every hour for five minutes which
equips you for the next hour. The results are wonderful and
refreshing. Positive thinking is the key here. You attain or
become what you think. You direct your thoughts in a particular
way and you become that. When the mind is relaxed, the decisions
are perfect. When the decisions are perfect there is no stress.
Stress is due to wrong decisions created by you and not by others.
Sound therapy or chanting of OM: scientific experiments show that
regular chanting of OM increases the vibrational
frequencies to
4800-5000 cycles per second. After praanaayam take a deep breath
and while releasing the breath divide it into 1:1:3 proportion.
During each division the sound that which emanates should be aaaa…..oooo…..mmmmm…(longest,
for as long as you can stretch it). When you start releasing the
breath give a jerk at the naval area or the swaadishthaana chakra
also known as the varna sthala. This therapy creates enormous
vibrations in the sahasrara chakra, ajna chakra and the brain,
the mind becomes calm and you are relieved of your stress. You
can focus on what you want and once you focus you receive it too.
Immediately after this you go into meditational state. These can
help you overcome your problems by at least 50%. Nobody can solve
your problem, you alone can help yourself.
Yoga nidra: You all have desires and certain expectations from
your business. In a small piece of paper jot down in capital
letters, without any repetitions, corrections or over-writing,
your expectation from your business within a specified time but
in the past tense as if it has already taken place. (For example,
my company, name the company has achieved a net profit of Rs 1
crore in the financial year ended on 31st March 2006).
Now fold the paper and keep it in your palm, sit back
comfortably, relax, loosen your clothes, legs stretched in front,
no tensions in the muscles at all, close your eyes. relax…relax…relax…Once
you are relaxed, focus on the intention written on the paper and
visualize that it has already taken place. Visualize it not just
once but several times. This should extend to 15/20 minutes.
Every morning after praanaayam and OM chanting focus on your
wish or intention which should be reasonable, and you are sure to
achieve it.
Focus on what is right: Be reasonable; do not add to your stress.
For instance you may desire to have ten factories but is it
practical? It would only increase your headache. Take on
responsibilities only to the extent you are able to manage it or
else you end up doing nothing and are only stressed and strained.
Yoga and meditation: the moment we talk of meditation people seem
to withdraw as they carry a notion that meditation is for people
who have retired from active work life. Every human being must go
into the meditational stature from the day he is born. A new-born
child sleeps most of the time and he even grows in sleep. You too
have to grow in the meditational stature
but it has to be done
very systematically. During the process of meditation, when you
concentrate on light or God, physical awakening of kundalini
takes place. Meditation means to reach the state of shunyathaa (nothingness),
adwaitha. Through the sushumna, the kundalini energy rises up to
the sahasrara chakra where it joins with the static energy (Shiv
and shakthi), and you become calm. We train ourselves to focus
only on one, and ultimately we focus on the self, the inner self.
When you reveal the capabilities of the inner self, you
automatically reach a state of peace, there is absolutely no
stress and strain. When you thus start vibrating at a very high
frequency, the mind is calm, the desires are limited, the
requirements are limited. Today you are unable to achieve what
you want because you cannot focus on one. Pravachans and
scriptures bring awareness and prepare you to go into meditative
stature.
Reiki: To convert the negative thoughts into positive thoughts,
Reiki is another proven successful method. This brings peace and
meditative stature to the mind. It also increases confidence,
increases the intuitive power, brings physical, mental and
spiritual fitness in all respects.
Thoughts have to be transformed, today we are living in negative
situation. Confusion, ignorance, avidya are the main causes of
stress. Our physical body and mind is attracted towards
negativities; we need to purify ourselves. Know your self,
recognize your capabilities and the happiness is yours. You can
be successful if you identify you karmas and execute them in the
right manner. You fail because you try to execute others' karmas.
The self is the purest form and you gradually start realizing it
with regular practices. When you identify yourself, you find you
are Supreme. When a Maharishi says,'tathaasthu', it happens, so
also, you attain what you desire……
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