The Hindu Business Line : Know your stress threshold

Periodically, Mitasha's neck and shoulder ache. It's almost predictable. It happens after a long-distance road/rail journey or after a day of bending over her worktable, and so on. "In 2007, you are going to take extra care and not have a single episode if I can help it!" I exploded in frustration when it happened again this time.

I strongly believe you must get to know your personal threshold for stress and not cross it. Too much work, driving long punishing distances, excessive socialising, overeating, excessive alcohol intake, too much exercise, or even meditation done too long fatigues the body and its weak spots act up. Sufficient sleep, rest, relaxation and mental quietude are as important as activity.

Strengthen weak spots: When you are in good health, you must strengthen the body's weak spots. Make lifestyle changes and do not abandon these changes even when you are `normal'.

Watch your head: If you keep your head pushed forward with your ears in front of your shoulders, you strain your neck muscles. If you work in this position, consciously straighten your head often until it becomes a habit. Consciously take breaks, stand up, stretch, and walk around.

Support your spine: Sit on a chair that firmly supports your back. Place a small cushion against your back for better spinal alignment. This benefit reaches your neck muscles.

Keep things at eye level: Ensure your computer monitor is at eye level. Keep the book you are reading at a vertical slant, not flat on the table. While writing, keep your neck straight.

Phone posture: Don't tilt your head awkwardly while talking on the phone, as this can cause spasms or stiffness.

Sleep sweetly: Sleep on a firm mattress on your back, and never on your stomach. Get yourself a cervical pillow for good neck support.

Keep warm: If you sleep in an air-conditioned room, ensure your neck and shoulders are wrapped warmly.

Breathe: Tension tightens neck muscles. Take breaks to breathe deeply and ease the tension. Over a cup of tea, relax consciously and stare tranquilly into the distance.

Exercise: Stretch and strengthen your neck-shoulder muscles with regular exercise:

Look straight. Then, swivel neck to look over your right shoulder and then left shoulder — 10 times.

With weights of 2.5-5 pounds held in hands, shrug shoulders up and down 10 times.

Stand facing the wall. Walk your hands on the wall as high as you can go. Now, move the right palm in a big circle towards the right as if wiping the wall three times. Repeat with left palm moving in a big circle towards the left.

The power of attention: An emotion is the body's reaction to your mind. Guilt, anger, resentment, and fear hit the body's weak spots and the pain begins. Do not fear your guilt, anger, resentment or fear itself. Refuse to get upset. Then, let your emotion surface. Focus your attention on it without judging, justifying, or analysing. Be detached and it dissipates. After weeks of practice, the emotion fades, and you become healthier.

To deal with negative emotions chant for 5 minutes a day a name or word you associate with the divine, activating your intention to bring into you the peace and strength of a higher nature. You feel purified, healed and calm. The body regenerates its cells and those weak points get new cells and strengthen.

Another way to get your brain into a positive zone is to walk briskly, run, swim or cycle. Combine this beautiful exercise with a wholesome diet of vegetables, fruits, cereal, pulses and 10 glasses of water. Tests have shown that this combination enhances self-control, tolerance, intellect, mental acuity and perception. All these improvements help understand where your stress threshold lies.

Eight liberating attitudes: I advise you adopt these attitudes especially if you are hyperactive, hypertensive or too intense in your outlook:

Train your body and mind to work dedicatedly, but do not strain them beyond their present capacity. Conserve some energy to help increase permanent immunity and strength of your system.

Enjoy your work as play. When you bring enjoyment to work, the body responds without grudging or feeling fatigued.

Choose to be restful over restless. When you are quiet within and without, strength and sanity prevail.

Neither overanalyse yesterday's happenings nor overplan for tomorrow. These needless thoughts diminish your personal power and make you miss out on the serene joy of being completely in the undemanding present.

Remember, the physical life needs order and rhythm. Constant chopping, changing and rushing around creates distress and weariness.

Choose the hum of harmony over the growl of the ego for good teamwork and good health.

In work, do what is best for the work not what is best for your prestige, ambitions and vanity. In the former lies the fullness of healing, satisfying bliss.

Laugh. It puts living back into life.

(The writer is co-author of the book, `Fitness for Life'.)

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