“I miss being a little kid with no stress, worries, or care in the world”…. A lovely wall hanging on the wall of a gift shop caught my attention. The first thought to fly past was” How true!” I envied the kids and believed that Stress was what ONLY the adult world experienced daily. I was in for a rude shock when a kid, probably a middle school student, mocked it out loud.
Is it true that every living being is undergoing Stress in varying degrees, or is it the new terminology that has been used so carelessly to indicate tiredness, a lot of work, and no time? I failed to understand how this word which was so non-existent when I was a little kid, now finds a place on everyone’s lip. ‘Work is so stressful, ‘I am stressed cooking four meals a day.’,’ I am stressed out completing my homework.’ These are a few of the various sentences which we hear very frequently.
This made me wonder if there has ever been a day when I, or anyone, has not used it.
Curious, I looked up the dictionary to understand this word better. It said, “Stress is a feeling of emotional or physical tension, and it can come from any event or thought that makes you feel frustrated, angry, or nervous.” So true! But is Stress always negative, or do humans use it to imply a negative meaning?
Curiosity got the best of me, and I decided to ask our own know-all ‘antaryami’ “The Google Mata”. I came across this line: ‘Stress is a normal body reaction and can be positive or negative. Our reaction to a particular situation is what makes it positive or negative.’
Stress, to a certain extent, is very much needed cause it helps the body adjust to new situations and keeps us alert and motivated to face any obstacles.
Knowing that not every human being is mentally strong, what is the best way to tackle Stress? A big helping of Positive thought with a teaspoon of relaxational activities, insufficient proper eating, and the required quantity of exercise is the only medicine that can combat Stress.
We should prioritise finding ways to let go, not resisting what life has in store for us, and learning to say ‘NO’ when required.
As parents, we should also help and teach our kids to cope with Stress. Spending quality time with them, listening to them, talking about what is causing the feeling, and helping them to identify the right emotion and relating it with the right word is the need of the hour now. If this is done right now, kids will laugh at whatever is stressing them out decades later.
Just remember this saying when the going gets tough, A diamond is a piece of coal that does well under pressure, and as adults, we have to ensure that each kid sparkles like a diamond.
Ms Suma Mohan
Primary Academic Coordinator
