Junk the luggage, says Paul Jambunathan.

Stress. At some point or another, we have all had it. We stress about money, work, relationship, family, traffic jams, inconsiderate strangers. The possibilities of stress factors are endless. It seems as though the mere act of stepping out of your home can be dangerous. For some of us, it is just as stressful to stay at home.

The word stress has become synonymous with the average urban individual. It is so common to hear someone say “you looked stressed” or “I’m so stressed at work” or even “my homework is stressing me out!” So has stress become a convenient excuse? Is it overrated? Misunderstood, perhaps? Or is it just merely overused as people become more self-involved?

Whatever the case may be, it is undeniable that if a person really does suffer from stress, the consequences can range from mild irritation to sometimes a fatal outcome.

Doctors will tell you that stress can trigger a physical reaction or cause physiological changes in a person. For example, you notice the unbearable neck pain that you have had for a long time magically disappeared when your insufferable boss finally resigned.

So what can we do about stress? How do we manage it so that it doesn’t affect us physically, emotionally and mentally? How do we ensure that stress does not get the better of us? Senior Lecturer of Psychology, Paul Jambunathan, addressed these questions at a recent talk ‘Understanding Stress and How To Live With It’.

Known for his dramatic, hilarious and engaging manner, Paul enthralled the audience from the start: “Only the dead has no stress, otherwise, there’s no escaping it. But sometimes, how you perceive things can also cause you stress. Essentially, you can choose how to react. It is up to you. But if something does stress you out, deal with it. Don’t let it add up.”

Paul adds, “Most stress factors are internal. Some of the common stressors faced include home or money issues, other people, sex, health, work and even our own thoughts. But while stressors can be either internal or external, our subsequent thoughts, physiological, emotional and behavioral reactions, are all internal. Therefore, stress is primarily an internal process and is under your control.”

He highlights the effects of stress on a person. “There’ s the organisational effect which could mean burnout, low morale, low performance, poor working relationships, absenteeism, high turnover, job dissatisfaction, high use of health facilities or accidents. Then there are the behavioral effects which could trigger drug use, alcohol, smoking, overeating, impulsive or aggressive outbursts, accident proneness, restlessness, blaming others, withdrawal, isolation.”

“We also have mental effects which affect concentration, task performances, defensiveness, mental blocks, sleepiness, focus on details,” he said.

“Emotional effects include anxiety, anger, boredom, depression, fatigue, frustration, irritability, moodiness, tension, nervousness, self-hate, worry. Finally, it’s the physical effects which cause medical imbalances, including blood glucose, heart rate, increased BP, breathing, numbness, tingling, back pain, fatigue, and every system all of which could ultimately result in damage to organs, chronic disease and death.”

Stressing that buoyancy and balance is the trick to stress management, he continues.

“There are so many myths out there on how to manage stress. Some say take tablets, others say a belief in God will do the trick, yet others just run away from it all. What you should try doing is some meditation, breathing exercises, relaxation, visualisation, assertiveness training, exercise, aromatherapy and many other solutions that could work for you.”

“So remember, you need to understand stress. You need to analyse stress. You need to do something about it. Then you need to learn to live with it and you need a tool kit. How do you develop or buy a tool kit? Look at your needs! Have awareness, honesty and discipline.

Paul also shared his own brand of stress vaccine which he calls Jambu’s 5 Senses. This includes a sense of spirituality, sense of responsibility, sense of reality, common sense and a sense of humour.

He also suggests one simple way to manage stress. “Put a rubber band around your wrist. Every time you feel stressed, give it a hard snap. That pain should tell you that you need to think about something else. If your rubber band breaks, that means you’ve been using it too often!”

His advice is simple. “Junk the luggage!”