In today’s modern day fast paced and monotonous life, being stressed out and hassled with your work is not a new thing. It has become very common these days. You will get to hear this from every other person around you that he is going through or facing the problem of stress in his life. This is such thing which apart from facing in your personal life, you can witness the same in your work life also. Despite of this piece of information, it is not obligatory to make it a habit to see stress in negative terms or rather it is always seen as bad and as having negative impact on the person’s life. This is not the case every time. Sometimes, stress is positive also, like if we take the example of students till the time exam fear starts roaming around their heads, they won’t study. Hence, in this case stress is positive. This is the same case which happens in the professional life of the person. It totally depends on the person’s outlook towards his work. If he has the capacity of finishing up his work within the provided deadlines, he won’t be stressed, otherwise he will be stressed. This stress may act in positive or negative both terms.

People want to live their life happily and want to cope up with stress be it of any kind, whether the case be of their professional or personal lives. Let’s see below some smart tricks and tactics which after inculcating in your daily routine you will be able to deal with stress which you face in your professional work life.

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1. Leave for Work Early

The first thing which you should keep in mind is that make it a habit to always leave before time. If you will leave on time or late according to your estimated time you will hurry up and then you will scuttle. This will have a negative impact on your mood because of which you will ultimately feel stressed for the whole day, because your day was not given a proper head start. Hence, leave from home around 15 – 20 minutes early and remain cheered up the whole day.

2. Plan Your Work and The Area of Work

Secondly, always remember that once you reach your work place; manage your place of your work, like your table or your cabin or wherever you have to sit and work. After this, plan your day. Once you clean up your desk and manage your things, you will automatically wish to work. Otherwise seeing the whole thing messed up, you will not feel like working and will stress yourself for no good reason. Hence, arrange your things in a proper manner and work in a healthy mood for the whole day.

3. Focus on One Thing at A Time

Then, remember that you should always work on one thing at a time. Multitasking is good, but only to a certain extent. Don’t forget that you are a human, not a robot, nor a computer nor you are working at the speed of light. So, try and finish your work in hand and then go on to the next work. Otherwise you will have to waste ample of your valuable time and none of your work would be completed. This will ultimately leave you being frustrated. Hence, to avoid this, take up single task at one point of time, finish it with full dedication and then shift your focus on to the other task.

4. Take Small Intervals for Rest Between Work

After this, when you are working for long hours, do not forget to take short breaks in between your work and have some of your favorite snacks. Otherwise, it may also result in making your blood pressure low and you will feel dizziness while working. So, a short break of at max 5 minutes after an hour of work will help you remain in keeping your energy level boosted up and you will be able to complete your work creatively and effectively.

5. Do Some Activities to Calm Down

Then, it is pretty common that if you are working for long hours, you would be fed up from work and then you will be unable to concentrate on your work with the utmost level and power of concentration. To cope up with this, you can try listening to music, talking with one of your best friends or eating chocolates. This will facilitate you in giving yourself a slight change from your monotonous routine and you will be ready to be back in your work mode in a positive mood. Following this you will manage giving a better performance in your work.

6. Think and React, Rather Its Better to Act

Followed by all this, it is better that you should act firstly according to the demand of the situation rather than to react instantly. It may happen generally that whenever we feel that situation is not in our control, we may react, but this offers a wrong impression. Stay calm, think and then act accordingly. You should try and avoid the immediate and haphazard reactions of others as much as you can. By doing this the plus point is that you will not stress yourself.

7. Go Out in Break Time

Most important of all is that when you get lunch breaks, try and leave your office surroundings and freak out with your colleagues at some place or the other. Away from work in your busy schedule you will feel relieved from stress and will get some time for yourself to chill. This will lighten up your mood.

8. Set Your Reminders for Important Tasks

Keep reminders of your to do work in the form or dairy, chits, alarm clock or the wall, whichever you like. This won’t let you forget your important tasks which you have to complete. This won’t let you forget any of your further scheduled tasks and you can work stress free in a well-planned routine.

9. Determine Your Every Day’s Progress and Compliment Yourself

After doing work the whole day, it becomes very important to determine the progress of your work which you have shed your sweat and done the whole day. Always determine your progress only in terms of you and stay happy. No need to run behind perfection. It will automatically come with progress. If you will think about the progress you have made till now, it will act as a motivation factor and you will stay calm and stress free.

10. Intake Proper Amount of Food and Sleep Well

Lastly, the most important of all the things is that you have to eat right and sleep well, so neither it makes you dizzy nor you will feel laziness while working. This will make you perfectly ready for your work.

And so, these are some tried and tested tips and techniques which can help you to take pleasure in your work. As when there will be no stress and pressure you will enjoy doing it.

Stress can sometimes be good to keep you alert and motivated. But can stress cause depression? Yes, because when the stress increases and doesn’t shut down after a difficult situation, it leads to depression.

Stress and depression go hand in hand. Stress whether acute or chronic can lead to major depression. The acute stress may lead to chronic stress and later depression. Depression is a stress disorder which you definitely wouldn’t want happening. Depression affects your body and your lifestyle.

To rebalance your life from stress and disorder, try these five methods and find inner peace within yourself:

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1. Exercise

Exercise is a stress reliever. Exercising can lift your mood and can even divert your mind from your problems and help you relieve stress or depression. If you haven’t been active lately, start slow. Start with 20 minutes daily and later increase it to 150 minutes. Regular exercise helps a lot. Start slow, and then later day-by-day increase your pace and stamina. You can try walking, gym, outdoor games/activities, or dancing. Meditation and yoga also help. You can also go for psychotherapy if none of the above options helps or are out of your capability. 

2. Say NO to Alcohol

Alcohol is a known mood suppressor. Consumption of too much alcohol can take a serious toll on your health. People intake alcohol more when they are under stress or depression. Alcohol can make your depression situation worse. Alcohol never helps, it just worsens the situation. People intake alcohol to hide their problems and emotions but it doesn’t quite help. Taking alcohol when in depression can worsen your situation and can also disrupt your sleep.
Alcohol can also lead to impaired judgment and leads to irrational decisions. To calm yourself and rebalance your life, stop consuming alcohol. Alcohol leads to many other health problems and weakens your body.

3. Eat Well

Depression can make the effected person not want to eat. Always take a balanced diet and eat healthily. Stay healthy by eating well and handle your stress levels better.

It is said “To achieve emotional balance, improve your nutritional balance” and that is true, word to word. Drink healthy fluids and include all the nutrients like protein, vitamins, carbohydrate, and fat in your daily diet. Never skip your meals and stop eating junk food. Also, consult a dietician/nutritionist.
Eating healthy is really important for your body. Healthy food provides the body with the required nutrients and maintains your strength and mental condition too. Your body functions better when you eat well and feel energised. Your body needs food to function properly and constantly. To avoid further health problems, eat well regularly.

4. Sleep

Give your body rest. Your body cannot function all the time, restlessly. It needs rest for eight hours a day. Working late hours can lead to the sleep disorder. Stress and depression also lead to a sleep disorder. And sleep problems can cause depression and stress.

Insomnia is very common in people experiencing depression. So, sleep well, give your body the needed rest and gain energy. Maintain a relaxing bedtime routine and keep all the worries aside when it’s time for bed. Whenever you feel tired, take rest and sleep.

The required sleep when properly taken can lead to health benefits.  

5. Stay in Touch

To rebalance your life from stress and depression, find happiness around you. That source of happiness can be your friends or family. So, stay in touch with them. Stay in touch with your loved ones and enjoy their company.
Your family’s or friends’ influence can help you release stress or help you get out of depression. Spend time with your family and get some company. They can help you rebalance your life and provide you with comfort. Also, make time for yourself, fulfil your desires. If possible take a break from your stressful life and feel revived.

Arousal of stress occurs due to the problems and hassles that occur in our daily life. There is no way in which problems won’t occur but we can surely lessen those problems by keeping our lifestyle simple and stress-free. Being stress-free is a major problem these days. Stress can be classified as positive stress and negative stress. Positive stress gives us energy and sometimes helps us work better. You must have heard that some people work better in stress, this is so because for them stress becomes a positive energy. For few people stress becomes a negative energy and causes them to worry too much. So, to avoid stress, one needs to follow some good habits which are as follows.

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1. Meditation

This method of strategies is practiced by almost everyone. Though it is a slow process but the most effective one. Meditation helps reducing anxiety and stress. Meditating daily for few minutes can keep you focused in your work. It makes us calm by throwing away the negative vibe within us. Breathing slowly in and out is the best exercise to increase concentration.

2. Exercise

Exercising is the best way to handle stress, especially when it comes to working out in morning. 15 minutes of exercise daily will help in keeping calm by distracting you from your negative thoughts. Jogging, morning walk, skipping, squats, pushups and sit-ups are few exercises.

3. Getting Enough Sleep

Sleeping for adequate amount of time causes most of the diseases to disappear. Inconsistent sleep is a root to most of the problems. After working for several hours our body needs time to rest. 8 hours of sleep is a must for every adult. It makes our mind calm and gives fresh energy when we wake up and helps in dealing with problems effectively.

4. Sharing Problems with Friends

Sharing your problems with someone close to you will help in making you feel better. It is always better to express rather bottling your emotions. Spending time with loved ones makes us feel energized forgetting our worries. Hence do always get some time out for your friends and family no matter how busy your work schedule is.

5. Healthy Diet

Maintaining a healthy diet reduces the risk of diseases. Try to include fresh fruits in your diet. Eat food which are rich in vitamins B and omega 3 plus as they help us in coping with anxiety and stress. Consumption of caffeine and alcohol can trigger stress hence you need to avoid unhealthy eating habits.

6. Go for A Vacation

Stress occurs as we get so much involved in our work, we hardly get time for ourselves. Going on a trip with family or friends will give us a break from our daily schedule making us feel fresh and help us work better.

7. Planning Out Things

Before starting your routine, it is advisable to plan things out. Planning helps in simplifying the work schedule. When the routine is planned it won’t stress you out as you know at what time what work has to be done. Division of time will give you ample of space to include your own activities other than work so that you don’t feel stressed.

8. Laughing

Laughter is the best medicine. Keeping yourself happy and laughing to the worst problems is the key to live a life without stress. Laughing keeps you aloof of all other hassles which cause stress in your life. Reading jokes or funny videos.

9. Thinking Rationally

Stress most of the time occurs due to distorted thinking. When we are stressed we attend only to negative thoughts hence rational thinking helps in extracting the positive vibes.

10. Caring for One Self

Keeping our self-healthy and relaxed will help in tackling physical and emotional problems. Hence when you get time do pamper yourself and keep yourself relaxed. Relaxing will always help you live a happy life.

Hence all these habits will definitely keep you away from stress and work load.  Stress is something which can never get eliminated from our life but can be reduced to some extent. So, keep a track of all these healthy habits to live a happy and peaceful life.

Though, the article is titled ‘Secrets to a happy life’, there are no secrets to happy living. Everything you can do to stay happy is out in the open. Here, we bring you some overlooked stuff you can do every day to stay happy and bid stress adieu! 

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1. Discuss Feelings

Sharing your feelings and thoughts is not a crime. But keeping them bottled up surely is illegal. Discuss your feelings with your family or friends or confidante. There is no harm in telling how you feel, it’s just a way to express yourself. And if you have no one to whom you can tell, just write and express it in written form. This is the first step to happy life. 

2. Just Say No

Learn to say no sometimes. It is better to say no than accepting something and going out of your comfort zone. And there is no point in doing everything at a time and it just builds up stress. Be clear about your priorities and limits. Know your capability and say no to unnecessary work. It’s not that difficult to say no and live stress-free.

3. Get Personal with Nature

There is actually a really affordable way to relieve your stress and that is nature. Get personal with nature. Appreciate its eternal beauty. Get up in the morning, walk bare feet on grass; it is the best-known stress reliever. Nature is beautiful and just provides happiness. Start gardening plants on your terrace or garden, and this will help you free up some stress. 

4. Call A Friend

When in need, call a friend. The most clichéd method yet effective. And “friend” doesn’t necessarily have to be a friend. Said “friend” can be your sister, family member, guru, anyone. Share your troubles, tell them what you’re up to, and their feedback will give you a sense of care, which will eventually provide you bliss and feel content. Sometimes the simplest methods are the best. 

5. Do Yoga

Yoga helps you to maintain balance and peace. Even meditating peacefully, thinking just good thoughts can also help you release stress. Meditation and yoga slow down your heart rate, normalise your blood pressure and relieve stress. You feel peace around you and in you. Your inner self just gets boosted up and you feel free and satisfied. 

6. Focus on The Present

Thinking over and over about your past and regretting your decisions won’t just make you any happier. Regretting just harms your body and you won’t ever find peace with yourself. Calm yourself and think about the present. Even thinking about the future and jumping to conclusions increases your stress level. Forget the past, work on your present and better your future. 

7. Stop Comparing

Comparing your life or lifestyle with others is just another nasty way of feeling bad about yourself. The comparison may motivate to aim higher, but it also inflicts damage. Comparing your results, lifestyle and looks can never make you happier, the comparison only makes you feel malcontent. And dissatisfaction only leads to stress. So, stop comparing and feeling satisfied with what you have. 

8. Identify and Solve Problems

Your problems are your reasons to stress and gloomy life. Identify your problems, work on them and solve them. Problems shouldn’t be your reason or excuse to a happy life. Problems can be easily worked upon. If you can’t work on them alone, take help of others and free yourself. There is no harm in asking others for little help.

9. Don’t Expect Too Much

The expectation from life and people in your life should be minimal. Not everything goes as expected. Never expect too much from anyone. Not everyone every time can come up to your level of expectation. Stop expecting from others, rather fulfil your own expectations. Expectation is just false hope or mirage. 

10. Forgivingness

Anger is a root cause for stress. Manage your anger. Forgiving is one solution. Forgive people, their mistakes, and their wrong deeds and get over it. Blaming and getting angry over people is just a waste of time, and also increases your stress level. So be forgiving and release your bottled-up stress.

You are half asleep in the assembly already, your friend standing next to you is freaking out over the fact that she wore the wrong shoes to school, but as you hear the words “Exam Date-sheet is out”, all your anxiety-s and horrors resurface.

The worst part of student life is going through that dreadful phase of exam revision and preparation. Making lists and plans, organizing timetables, and scheduling what to study and when, is not an easy task. Hence, it is important to understand how to manage this period of anxiety. Here are some quick tips on how to handle exam stress:

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1. Meditate

Try to take 10 minutes off your busy schedule and practice meditation. Meditation helps you keep your cool, gives you an overview of where you stand mentally and thus helps you cut down on stress. There are a lot of mobile apps available with guided meditation, some specially designed for students going through exam stress, do not hesitate to give them a try!

2. Forget Calculating Grades and Anticipating Results

Quit calculating how much you should aim for, how much you are capable of scoring and where you stand in terms of your preparation. True, being aware of where you stand academically helps you set realistic goals with grades you plan to achieve, however excessively calculating and recalculating how much you can score just adds to your anxiety and nothing else. You’d rather devote your time studying the subjects than stressing about them.

3. Don’t Give Yourself a Hard Time

Your life doesn’t depend on these exams. They are a very small part of your life, and as you progress through the years, what you score now would not even matter. So, make sure you take care of yourself, by eating right, taking time out to relax and sleeping well.

4. Do Not Stay Up All Night

If you think that staying up all night studying, would help you complete your syllabus, think again. A sleep deprived brain has the ability to hinder your progress greatly. Sleep deprivation impairs memory retention and so it is advisable to study early morning than late at night.

5. Do Not Compare Your Progress with that of Your Peers

Focus on your own work, you don’t need to know how well ahead your best friend is in preparing her chemistry notes. That information would never help you take strides in your exams, so the only person you should be concerned about is yourself (yes, allow yourself to be selfish if that is what it takes).

6. Practice the Right Way

Getting a head-start by creating a plan of study a month or two before your exams help you cut down on exam stress effectively, as you have plenty of time to cover the course material. Make sure that even if you study less, you revise with complete concentration. This always works to your benefit as the more hours you spend on studying, the more tired your brain becomes. That is why they say, quality over quantity.

7. Take Advice from Your Seniors

Try to approach your seniors in helping you deal with exam stress. Ask them for tips and tricks that their teachers may have passed on to them. You may always find a few helpful tips on how to handle a certain chapter, or even a subject, thereby helping you get ahead and be relaxed.

8. Social-Media Suicide

For a few weeks if not months, try to get off all social media websites such as Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat. They are the worse distractions and they have the power to bring you down from your path to glory. By doing so, you are keeping away from all those ‘Where are you with your preparation for English’ texts away. You can then peacefully focus on your revision and completely shut down the grief of missing out on your cousin’s adventurous trip to Hawaii.

So, as you follow these tips to help you succeed in your exams, you have unlocked the key to conquering stress as well. Start planning, and don’t forget to practice meditation. Good luck!

Happiness is a treat that everyone does not get in life. It is the most priceless possession of human life which takes the whole life for its attainment. If today is said to be a gift full of surprises, then tomorrow the shelf life of the pleasure derived out of yesterday would fade away. There is one quest that every human being embarks on for the entire lifetime is the quest of happiness. Felicity is not the sip of a drink that you can earn with a laud of “Cheers.” Do you ever feel that prosperity is the root cause of all the fortunate events that occur in a family or any other social group? Does it nag you that gaining happiness is the world’s toughest task and the most titillating one? There is no guru or expert who can prescribe a set of rules of happiness, but there are some universally accepted formulae that help a person live a happy life:

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Are you one of those people who tighten their fists when something bothers you badly? Do your eyes turn red because a fountain of rage boils inside you? Do your emotions get erupted in the form of abusive words? Do small things get on your nerve very easily? Do you break something, may be a non-living thing or at times human bones, when you get mad at something? If you have answered yes to all of these questions, then you are undoubtedly a person with a short-fuse. People who are short-tempered are often interpreted as being hostile by nature. And in fact, it is not incorrect because fury ignites frustration and frustration compels hostility in behavior. Such people are mistaken to be misanthrope because others feel that every time such characters interact with their folks, they end up fighting with them. This presents a dark side of those people which misquotes them as haters. If you are one such anger junkie and you no longer want to be misinterpreted by others, then here are some tips that you can use to conquer anger in public:

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Traffic stress can be very frustrating as one is stuck within the vehicle like a captive. Sitting behind the wheels and waiting for the traffic to move on can be extremely boring and emotionally stressful. Stuck in a traffic jam might mean getting late to work, missing an important meeting, to keep your date waiting or even missing a train or flight journey. The consequences themselves add further to the stress. Here are 5 ways to avoid or lessen traffic stress which will help to kill the time faster or in a better way: (more…)

Dreaming of a perfect relaxing weekend after working hard the whole week? Work out a simple plan for the upcoming weekend to make it blissful. You can choose from a variety of interesting activities that will relieve the stress of frantic work schedules. 5 such leisure ideas that will ensure a splendid weekend are: (more…)