-Soubhagya Prabhu
Volunteer, Parahitam Foundation
“A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised
a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question.
Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired, “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out
ranged from 8 gm to 20 gm.
She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a
minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm
will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold
it, the heavier it becomes.”
She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while
and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them
all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.”
It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses and anything that bothers you as early as you can.
Put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them throughout your day or even more than few moments
where it makes you feel in a way you don’t want.
“Remember to put the glass down!”
Easier said than done, right?
It is so easy to just say something motivational, but it takes a toll on your mind and body to truly make it
happen.
The human body is designed to experience and react to stress. But it becomes a problem when
continued without relief. Every day, we are faced with challenges and barriers which could help us grow
and define ourselves. Now when stress creeps in, it could make things seem impossible, even prevent us
from doing things that need to be done.
The longer you hold onto the stress, the more it will bother you. Stressing will cause a domino effect.
The easiest way to manage stress is to talk it out. Learn how to manage stress and boost mood with
relaxing techniques like yoga, meditation and mindfulness, manage time efficiently, declutter and
become organised, have a good support system.
Avoidance of stress is the best strategy to tackle it and when it is not possible, adequate rest, change in
diet, regular exercise can increase the coping capacity of the mind and body.
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