Manage Your Stress by
Self-Entertainment
Nature has endowed each one of us with natural
tendencies of entertainment to cope up with all
stresses of life. But we remain unaware of this
oasis because of our extrovert attitude, and our
superficial understanding of our own selves.
A little thought on the purpose, genesis, nature and
the ‘process’ of experiencing entertainment, will
make it clear that there are no specific criteria to
define or measure entertainment. Neither are there
any devices or means, which will certainly provide
a particular kind of entertainment. The purpose
could be served by alternate means even if one
is in a specific mood to get a particular type of
entertainment. (For example if one is in a mood to
watch a specific movie but no tickets are available
for any show on that day then he or she may opt
for some other movie, theater or show). One does
not have to wait for a special opportunity to have
the delight of entertainment only by some specific
means. One does not have to arrange for any gadgets,
search for the right mode, or call a meeting, etc for
this. The real source of entertainment is available
all the time; one only has to feel it, recognize it and
activate or revive it.
We all have experienced sometime or the other
that a tired body or a strained mind feels relaxed
and relieved for sometime by watching or doing
something pleasant or enthusing. Exerting hard
at work is not so much a cause of fatigue, as
considering work as a burden. We often forget the
fact that all works can’t be of our liking, every
circumstance can’t be favorable to us. Tension
or pressure – which is usually experienced in
professional life these days – of completing the task
beyond one’s potential causes mental fatigue and
stress. But to a great extent the stressed person is
himself or herself responsible for this state. He/she
runs for lucrative jobs and fat salaries to become
rich and successful in a hurry.
One invites or creates
stressful circumstances by joining the rat-race of
fast-track ‘progress’ or by expecting and desiring
beyond one’s own worth and capabilities.
Many a time one expects the circumstances to
turn favorable and the people around to act as per
one’s will or to remain supportive as they were
sometimes earlier. One should remember that
everything in the world is changing. Everyone
has his/her own predilections that also vary with
time.
We can’t expect anyone to say or do what
we like. If one can’t discipline one’s own body
and mind, how can one expect to control others’
minds? It is a sign of maturity and wisdom on our
part to assess the circumstances and manage our
aspirations and expectations accordingly.
To deserve more and yet want less” is what
corresponds to an intelligent way of gaining
satisfaction and self-restraint. Adopting the
principles like — “struggle for victory, but have
malice for none” and “strive for the best and be
prepared for the worst”, in practice is the key to
a fulfilling and progressive life without any stress
or tension. It is not easy, but you have to start
somewhere. Once you are determined to follow it
or develop a ‘taste’ for practicing it, your mind will
start enjoying it. This will also trigger your hidden
tendencies of ‘self-emerging’ entertainment.Stress Was There in The Earlier Times Too!
We often get an impression that our ancestors had
an easy life; there was no tough competition or
tension. It appears as if the hazard of stress has
surfaced only since past few decades. That is not
quite correct. Its form and causes might have
changed and the number of people suffering from
mental tension and stress might have gone up in the
recent times, but stress has been a part of human
life since the primitive age of civilization.
In the
early days of civilization, struggle for survival was
the cause of stress but this, similar to the stress
given to start a mechanical engine, generated the
zeal to face the adversities and enabled the ascent
of civilization. This kind and level of stress has
always been a part of evolution of life. Nature has
also endowed us with enormous potential to use it
as an impetus to progress.
Disastrous Modes of Entertainment:
Similar to the cropping up of ‘clever’ evil
tendencies, the man-made complexities of stress
also increase with excessive ambitions and
passions of mankind. Stress grows manifold
because of wrong attitude and unchecked
instinctive and egotistic desires. The irony is
that one adopts artificial and unmindful means
of entertainment to get rid of this stress and in
turn, fuels negative effects and vulnerability to
suffer more tensions and mental and physical
weaknesses. For example, some people feel
stimulating entertainment in intoxication and sex
without realizing that it further fuels their sensual
passions and beastly instincts, and weakens them
physically as well as mentally.
Gambling and bidding has also been a hobby, a
source of entertainment, for many people in the
past times as well as in the present. But this mode
of entertainment often nurtures addiction and
also augments the addict’s hidden stresses and
hazardous infirmities in several ways.
Can’t one have more mindful ways of relieving
stress? The answer lies in understanding the fact
that — no kind of entertainment would alleviate the
stresses generated by cruel mentality, arrogance,
greed, etc, unless the root-cause itself is weeded
out. It is also a fact that if one were satisfied with
modest resources and simple living, one would
never have to face the inevitable stresses invited
by unbridled ambitions and selfish passions to
acquire power and snobbish possessions.
Creative Entertainment & Stress-Relief:
Excursion trips with a purpose of gaining
knowledge and practical experience in a chosen
field of knowledge are counted among creative
entertainments. It is different from roaming
around, touring for picnicking, sightseeing and
shopping. The latter may provide a temporary
diversion and joy but the net gain is nothing. That
way one may just stand in a corner and watch
the traffic on a busy road or amuse oneself by
looking at varieties of people and their activities
on a crowded railway platform or bus stand.
Visiting grand fun-fares, crowded galas, is also
similar. One will spend more money and get
more fatigue and risk of infection than gaining
real entertainment in such activities.
Trekking in the countryside full of natural beauty
and soothing breeze of fresh air on the banks of
a river is so different from walking on the busy
market streets of mega cities or hogging and
shopping in a mall. Both may provide diversions
and expose one to new attractions, but the latter
only adds more to one’s strain and stress than
providing any rejuvenation. Having Nature’s
serene proximity in the farms or gardens, or simplyhaving keen observation of the flora and fauna
near the house, watching the activities of animals
and birds around provide joyous diversion to the
mind and also offer new knowledge. If that is not
possible, then re-arranging the house, cleaning
and organizing the setup at home or office would
also be good options for recreation. Watering the
plants, gardening, planting and nurturing trees in
the surrounding area, etc are far more satisfying,
useful and soothing activities and creative modes
of stress alleviation than attending lavish parties
or watching some vague movie.
Quest for new information and knowledge is
Nature’s reward to human mind. That is why
reading and discussions also offer creative
entertainment. However, the topics taken up in
these are again a matter of one’s interest. Reading
substandard novels or books on erotic subjects,
and discussions or pondering on related topics
are contrary to these powerful modes of creative
diversion. Gossiping also counters the positive
impact, and amounts to sheer wastage of time
and energy.
You may read lightly but you should also
introspect and analyze whether or not it is
adding to your knowledge or useful information,
satisfying your quest to know the world better,
giving positive and constructive direction to your
thoughts, or sharpening your intellect. What do
you often talk or discuss about, and with whom,
also needs to be scrutinized. You need not be an
intellectual or learned person. You only need to be
aware of the natural quest of the mind and watch
your thoughts. Your mind will start enjoying
this self-inspection of the flow of thoughts and
gradually develop a creative interest in good
reading, listening to good lectures/discourses and
participating in meaningful discussions.
Sports, played as refreshing exercises, are
wonderful means of enthusing the mind and
energizing the body. Not only the games in a
playground or tennis and badminton courts, some
people also enjoy sitting for hours playing cards,
sitting in front of the chess board, and spending
whole day watching a cricket match. It gives
them pleasure mainly because their minds feel no
pressure of losing or winning, of gaining praises
or suffering insult, etc.
This indicates that any task that engages the
mind in doing some creative work and that is not
linked with any profit or loss, or with any kind of
success or failure, may also serve as a creative
entertainment for relief from stress. Any task
that is carried out with sportive enthusiasm and
positive conditioning or engrossment of mind
will become an entertainment, no matter how
much hard a labor it may require. Then there will
be no fatigue or stress in doing it, irrespective
of whether it is a new challenge or a routine
job. If the mind is meandering elsewhere or is
indifferent or unwilling to do something, then no
matter how comfortable or beneficial the job is,
it would appear vexing, tiresome and straining.
It is all the mood of mind that makes something
boring and stressful or interesting, rejuvenating
and fulfilling. We should therefore learn to change
our outlook as per the tasks at hand in a given
circumstance and cultivate a temperament to regard
every work as useful and important. A little training
of mind and practice will awaken our up-till-now
dormant tendencies of natural entertainment and
make life a field of joyful sports.
An Easy ‘Spiritual Exercise’:
Natural smile on one’s face is indicative of happy
and relaxed state of one’s mind. Gloom, fear,despair, arrogance, stress and related negativities
cast unpleasant or repulsive shades on the face
that cannot be hidden by any amount of makeup.
An expression of childlike joy and natural calm
on the other hand makes even a wrinkled face
of an old person glow with charm. Everyone
gets attracted towards a happy child and wants
to play with him. The cheerful face and natural
grin of a child makes him so cute and attractive.
You should also attempt to keep smiling. Smile
is like a mirror through which you may see the
pleasure of your face reflected on others.
It is
like a message in a subtle language that echoes
in the surrounding ambience and reflects back
upon you. We must learn this language of blissful
expression, this art of becoming joyful and
spreading happiness, from blossoming flowers.
When one feels upbeat in the moments of
success, or on receiving anticipated support
and favor, smile occurs without any effort. One
does not need any entertainment at these times.
More challenging and precious is self-creation of
entertainment in the unfavorable circumstances.
The art of smiling in all circumstances makes
you the winner, the master of entertaining your
mind and endows you with the key to peace and
happiness. You may begin with a sort of ‘forced’
training of bringing smile on your face, it may
make you feel artificial in the initial stages, but
because of its soothing impact on your body
and ambience around, and upon your social
interactions, you will not take much time in
getting used to it. With some practice, your mind
will begin to aspire for it. Smiling face will then
become your identity and will also help keeping
your mood tuned-up in general.
Your self-training exercise of having permanent
natural smile is interlinked with and mutually
supportive of your positive attitude. It will help
keeping your mind light and calm and thus nurture
your positive attitude and sporting spirit. The latter
will ensure natural generation and sustenance of
inner peace and enthusiasm, of which, smile is an
automatic and innate offshoot. Nature has gifted
you with the boon of smile, use it and generate the
perennial spring of serene joy within.
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