What is stress?
Stress is a normal reaction in your body when you find yourself in a crisis or your mental balance is disturbed.
The stress response helps you face challenges. But after a certain limit, this stress stops helping and adversely affects your health, your mood, your productivity, your relationships and your quality of life.
In Ayurveda, there are many forms of stress such as mental, emotional and physical stress; and different types of stress require different treatments. According to Ayurveda, mental stress is caused by excessive use or misuse of the brain. For example, if you do mental work for a long time or work on the computer for many hours, then there is an imbalance in your mental activities, energy, and the praana-vaata elements associated with the brain. And the first symptom of the imbalance of praana-vaata is the inability to handle stress. As stress increases, mental processes such as dhi, dhriti, and memory are altered, or it can affect receptivity, inhibition, positive thinking, motivation, and good night's sleep.
Symptoms of stress:
Cognitive symptoms
- Memory problems.
- Lack of concentration.
- Errors in judgment.
- Sensitivity.
- Unrelenting worry.
Emotional symptoms
- Mood swings.
- Irritability or anger.
- Restlessness, inability to relax.
- Feeling defeated.
- Feelings of loneliness and isolation.
- Depression or resentment.
Physical symptoms
- Aches and pains.
- Diarrhea or constipation.
- Nausea or dizziness.
- Loss of sexual interest.
- Frequent colds.
- Indigestion and rumbling.
- Rapid heart rate.
Temporal symptoms
- Eating or sleeping less or more.
- Isolating yourself from others.
- Avoiding taking on any responsibilities.
- Drinking alcohol, smoking or taking drugs for relaxation.
Homemade and Ayurvedic Treatment for Stress:
Include five almonds with warm milk in your diet. You can also consume 1 gram black pepper with milk or honey 2 or 3 times a day.
Applying neem powder on your forehead can also benefit you.
Make a paste of dry ginger with milk or water and apply it on your forehead.
Dipping a small towel in cold water, squeeze it and keep it on your forehead for some time.
Getting a full body massage with Ksheerabala oil, Dhanvantari oil or coconut oil also helps in reducing stress.
Drinking milk mixed with Gulkand before sleeping is also beneficial.
Drinking sweet lassi with Gulkand in the afternoon with lunch is also beneficial.
Lying down in a dark room or sleeping for about half an hour can also reduce stress.
Betel leaves have analgesic and cooling properties. Placing them on the affected area provides great relief.
Ayurvedic medicines like Ashwagandha, Brahmi, Ginger, Hypericin also prove beneficial in reducing stress.
Some food items like sweet and juicy fruits like almonds, coconut, and apples, lassi, ghee, fresh cheese and paneer also help in curing the state of stress.
What to do and what not to do to relieve stress
Give up negative thinking.
Do not consume alcohol and drugs as both can increase your depression.
Do not try to take any major decision when you are depressed.
Do not let yourself get discouraged.
Make sure to get at least eight hours of sleep.
Try to sleep before ten o'clock at night.
Stress has become a part of the lives of most of us, and if not handled properly, it can lead to heart disease, peptic ulcers, and cancer.
