Tention Free

Heart diseases, blood pressure, emotional imbalance, diabetes, mental disorders and many other health problems are an effect of constant tension. What goes on in your mind ultimately shows its results on your body. The brain is undoubtedly the most important organ of the body. This amazing organ controls every function of the body, directly or indirectly. It’s very essential that we take the utmost care of our mental health. In today’s stress filled era, there are numerous cases when people suffer from health problems but diagnostic tests reveal that there is nothing wrong with them. So what is the reason behind such bewildering cases? The symptoms are there but the doctors can’t give an appropriate reason for them. This is when they come to the conclusion that these problems arise from psychological issues. Not only does stress affect your health but it also disrupts your social life. Stressed people are hardly able to spend quality time with their family and friends. The fact is that stress is yet another problem that every one of us encounters in our daily lives. There are only a few people in the world who are completely happy and content with their life yet they still continue to achieve more. Do you know why? Tension free. Yes, they are free from the chains of tension. You keep stress away from your mind and you find yourself experiencing a fulfilling inner happiness and you will achieve more than you ever dreamt of. The following 10 simple but effective steps will go a long way in helping you get tension free.

1. Spirituality.

Be close to God. Believe in His existence. It will make things a lot easier. The best way to look at life is that you are a child crossing a busy highway holding God’s hands. You are blindfolded and all you can do is hold His hand and walk. If you don’t walk, you won’t progress in life. If you try and ignore God and take everything in your control, you will just be making mistakes and eventually be running scared when you won’t know what to do when faced by an obstacle. In life there is very little that you have to control; your actions. Keep your faith in God. There is nothing more powerful than prayer. You face a challenge, you pray and move forward. The devil loves it when you worry but he shivers in fright when you pray. Keep worry away, leave what’s not in your control to God and live life tension free!

2. Family

This is equally important if not more as number 1 on this list. Spend quality time with your family. Go and visit your parents from time to time. No matter how much your father in-law hates you, he will still be content to see how much his daughter is happy with you! Take your kids out too. Take them to the beach, to the ice cream parlour. Go to your kid’s soccer game. Be with your daughter during her ballet performance. Spoil your wife with some surprise gifts. Plan and materialise a romantic evening with just her. An evening away from the kids won’t harm anyone. You need to take care of your family. It’s healthier for you as well as your family’s unity if you make them feel loved. Take time out from your busy schedule for them. Your boss won’t stand by you during your tough times but your family will!

3. Friends.
Again, it will not be the first time you hear this. CHOOSE YOUR FRIENDS WISELY. The kind of people you surround yourself with, determines the way you feel to a large extent. If they are whiny, talk only about the problems and you smoke/drink because your friends do, it’s time to change your friends. It’s better to be with friends who make you feel better. It will be even better if they have the same interests as you do. The more time you spend with such friends, the more stress will stay away from you. Don’t be around people who constantly spread negativity.

4. Yoga

The reason Yoga features higher than exercise on the list is the fact that it’s more efficient and even more importantly, less time consuming. Even taking control of your breathing patterns is a proficient way to keep your mind free of the unwanted tension. Generally, people breathe in short and rapid breaths. Breathing deeply and slowly will calm your body and help keep stress away from your mind as well as your body. Fascinatingly, rapid breathing reduces carbon dioxide levels more than desired and this leads to an increase in mental agitation. Long, slow and deep breaths will help keep the carbon dioxide levels at optimum levels. If you employ this breathing technique, it’s enough to achieve your goal of staying tension free but if you want to take your Yoga to the next level, its better because it will help you keep you agile and is beneficial for your joint health as it will help avoid arthritis and other joint problems.

5. Exercise

You have heard this a countless number of times to exercise well. Incorporating a good exercise routine in your daily life is very essential to reduce the stress from your mind. You do not need to join a Gym . A good run in the morning will get you the daily requirement of fresh air. Exercise results in better blood circulation and helps reduce body fat too and will help keep obesity at bay. Involving in a good exercise routine will help increase your self-confidence. Physical exercise will help in mood enhancement, and it also activates the brain to release certain neurotransmitters which alleviate both physical as well as mental pain.

6. Hobby

Everybody has a hobby. It’s something that makes you feel happy and calm. Some people enjoy gardening and the thrill they experience when they see plants flourish and flowers bloom in their gardens. Photography, drawing, painting, scrapbooking are some of the prospective hobbies which you can look into if you haven’t found a hobby yet. There are many hobbies such as participating in a book club that leads to a more active social life which is better to have a tension free lifestyle. Apart from reducing stress levels, performing enjoyable activities during your leisure time also has positive health benefits like lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol  levels and a better body mass index to name a few.

7. Music

Opera, love, religious, rap, jazz, just put the tape of your favourite songs into your music systems and see the stress vanish to the beats of the music. Neuroscientists have proved that listening to your favourite tunes can help you feel better. The songs you are fond of, have the ability to trigger the release of a strong neurochemical called dopamine. It’s actually the release of this strong neurochemical by the brain that causes such effects. Dopamine is a neurochemical which is largely responsible for activating the pleasure centres of your body and addiction. So, even if you do get addicted, music won’t do you any harm.

8. Say NO to alcohol and tobacco

The day was strenuous. You are worried about the pending work. The boss gave you a glare as he passed by your office. The traffic on the way back home was adding to the frustration. You come home and sit down on the couch. You need a drink or a smoke. But before you reach out for such toxic substances which give you a pseudo feeling of relaxation, remember to say NO. Instead of relieving the stress that has built up in your mind, these substances affect your brain and while they are making you feel relaxed they are actually harming your vital organs and you are just watering the seeds of life threatening diseases after stress has sowed them.

9. Weekends

An exhausting week drains not only your reservoirs of physical strength but also that of your mental strength. What you need is a weekend spent relaxing. Sleep for a bit longer than what your busy schedule allows you to. It’s very essential that you spend time doing what you really enjoy. Remember, there’s a tough week ahead and you will again have to be working hard. This weekend needs to be all about rejuvenating your mind and body to handle the awaiting stress. Read a book that you really like, watch your favourite show, go out for a long drive and just enjoy!
Yes, do not keep putting things off for tomorrow. It’s true when they say, “Tomorrow never comes.” You have to do something important but laziness creeps over your body, you look at the clock and decide that you will do it tomorrow. Procrastinating leads to unwanted problems. You know it very well that it’s an important task and the sooner you complete it the better it is but as soon as you decide to put it off you have invited stress. You will constantly debate over whether it was the wrong decision to procrastinate. Until you complete the task, you will not be able to focus on other things and before you know it you will find yourself in hot water just because you let lethargy decide for you. It’s best to do what’s needed to be done and not let a tiring day make you keep a crucial task for tomorrow.