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Just indulge yourself

Sometimes, stress busting is as easy as being good to yourself

PET RESPITE Take your dog for a long drive and you'll feel an instant jolt of pleasure

Stress has acquired a bad reputation, almost all of it entirely warranted, of course. Naturally, words such as stress-management and stress control have less-than-pleasurable connotations for us. We know that the path to a stress-free life comes with sweat and tears, if not blood. We have to work at relaxing. However, sometimes stress management can be done in an entirely painless manner... what's more, you can have fun doing it, too.

There is a misconception that men and women stress in entirely different ways; this is more the exception than the rule. Stress hits irrespective of gender. So, you need to take your pick from the following stress-busters, find the best fit and banish stress from your life.

Some of these indulgences may strike you as a bit too much, far removed from your life. However, try them out once, try them whole-heartedly and monitor just how calming an influence the activity is on your nerves. That is your own internal stress-buster monitor, which will tell you what works and what doesn't.

Back to Nature: Open the window around 4 p.m. on a sunny afternoon let the curtains billow and sleep the noon stress away. Do the same on a clear, starry night. Communing with the great outdoors can never be underestimated as a stress-buster, as inducing serenity.

Get creative: Indulge in your creative passion. Do some finger painting (juvenile maybe, but it really works) or start a watercolour. Begin the first chapter of your Booker winner. Just taking a break from your regular routine to do such things will act as an instant calmer.

Give yourself a luxury bath: At least once a week. Switch off the lights, light up an aromatic candle or three, then get into the bathtub. Use the best bath gel you can lay your hands on. Chill in the tub. If you are not a tub man (or woman), lengthen your shower by at least 10 minutes, directing the warm spray to pressure points and feeling the kinks in your body ease out.

Buy a bunch of flowers: For yourself, your wife, that crystal vase in your drawing room. You gain immediate merit points with your partner as also with yourself because fresh flowers always make a person feel good.

Relax on a holiday: I mean, really relax. Lounge about in casual clothes (a lungi or dhoti for men, fresh nighties for women not excluded) all day. Do not read the newspapers. Do not watch TV.

New look: If you are a woman, buy a whole line of new make-up and practise using it properly, a new look will do wonders for your face, the feeling of having indulged yourself will do wonders for your stress levels.

Give yourself a facial: Give yourself a leisurely head massage with coconut oil, like the way your paati used to. After which, do it for your man.

Go see a film: All alone, or with your partner. Lose yourself in the film, don't check for sms messages or missed calls. Go have a coffee after the film and think about/discuss what you saw for the last three hours.

Chatathon: Women, call your mother or sisters up for a long chat. Or your best friend. Better still, have them over for a sleepover. Little girls are forever having friends over for sleepovers and you don't see them stressing much, do you?

Pet respite: Take your dog for a long drive. Ever observed the sheer joy a dog gets in putting his head out of the window and letting his ears stream? Well, watch Rover or Tiger now and you'll feel an instant jolt of pleasure.

Go for a 5-km jog: After it's over, you'll understand why it's an indulgence! Push your body to its physical limit, the high you get is also a stress-banisher.

Enjoy a drink: Squeeze a twist of lemon into a bottle of water, keep it by your side and see that you finish it in two hours. Good for your body, good for your mind to know it's good for your body!

Count your blessings: Put it all down, if need be. You never knew you had so much good stuff going for you, now, did you? So why on earth are you stressing on small things?

SHEILA KUMAR

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