All World
Gayatri Pariwar

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.