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We live in a fast-paced, high-stress world today, where we seem to be under a constant mental or emotional strain.

Despite the incredible advancements in our society that offer us a more comfortable life, we can find something to stress about ever so often. Our reasons for worry can be professional (a demanding job) or personal (a relationship, health, and so on), but there always seems to be something looming over our head. Stress, unfortunately, has become our constant companion and friend.

Why is this so? For starters, our brains are wired for warning signs, danger, and threats. Thousands of years ago, the mind was programmed to keep an eye on potential threats, and in our modern-day, we have managed to preserve our cognitive makeup. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors needed this mechanism, but with time, we no longer face the challenges that demanded for it by default. In our present context, we need to tune our minds into many non-threatening challenges.

In today’s world, finding ourselves hectic or anxious is not necessarily symptomatic of an underlying mental illness. It’s merely a way our body and mind respond to environmental stimuli. Many of us who work desk jobs, for instance, can succumb to the rigors of a work-heavy schedule or grapple with making ends meet in a hyperinflationary economy or any personal stressors with family, relationships, etc.

The stress response is essentially an integral part of our survival tactics, but unfortunately, it never rests. Whenever the mind senses a potential danger or threat, the fight or flight response is guaranteed to kick in. The primary objective here is to cope with challenge or danger (critical job deadlines, family pressures, and other personal situations), hence landing in a state of despair or depression. As humans, we tend to emphasize fearing the unknown – so the automatic response is usually worsened by anticipating these issues and possibly exacerbating our stress levels further.

Given that the stress response is a survival feature and that society’s rapidly evolving expectations limit our ability to find moments of peace, it makes sense we will encounter some stress. However, chronic stress levels may cause long-term problems to our mental and physical well-being.

To combat this, we need to be aware of what stresses us out so we can take action in mitigating it on some level. Simple steps like carving time for self-care (eating well, exercising and prioritising sleep), having a work-life beyond normal operating hours, and taking time off could be core factors on helping lift the demoralisation placed on us as humans from the effects of stress.

It may also be helpful to seek support from loved ones who can serve as a sounding board or create a mini cocoon of relaxation to combat any stressful situations. Additionally, keep tabs on technology and how it’s making us anxious or burdened.

Stress might be an inevitable part of life, but we should not accept it as and when it comes. In the long run, persistent stress can have a severe effect on both mind and body, causing mental and physical health problems. It’s essential to identify the sources of the stress before they spiral out of control and do our best to reduce any chronic effects it may have on us. We should also recognise that we are human and disconnected in a modern society that values the ability to work ourselves to an early grave. Instead, we need to slow down and remember to prioritize holistic goal setting, self-restoration, moderation, which will hugely contribute to managing stress. However, taking small steps to manage time and mitigate stress will only make us better versions of ourselves.

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