STRESS: Understanding the Modern Disease of the Mind

The World of Chaos and Competition

In this world of chaos, competition (I don’t know what for), demands (most of them are out of jealousy), work-life imbalance, and unfair distribution of resources (or access to), stress is the most common and deeply ingrained phenomenon that everyone can relate to.

What Truly Makes Us Happy?

In this world nothing can make you happy—neither your family, your money, nor your possessions—if you aren’t happy within. There are no standard measures for happiness. It's individual-centric and very subjective. It differs from man to man. If you value money, poverty becomes your stress; if you crave companionship, solitude becomes your stress. There is an English proverb—your heaven may be my hell.

The Root of Stress

The phenomenon of stress can be simplified by the famous quote of Henry David Thoreau from his groundbreaking book Walden (written in 1854) that “The mass of men leads lives of quiet desperation.” This is the root cause of all the mental stress. In a similar tone, philosopher Bertrand Russell once observed that most people spend their lives worrying about things that never actually happen. It is evident that much of human stress is not real; in fact, it evolves from our imagination of what might go wrong.

Stress is not always so bad

Physicist Eva Shelhub, writer of a few popular books on stress and stress management, deeply emphasized that, contrary to our popular belief, stress is not necessarily bad. According to Dr. Eva, “You need it to help you live, adapt, and survive. Stress motivates us to climb mountains or to innovate and find new ways to get more comfortable or to get somewhere faster.”

There is a word in English—"equanimity"—derived from the Latin "aequanimitas." It’s a magical word in the entire English dictionary. The true meaning of this word is a state of mental calmness, composure, and evenness of temper. That’s what we all are precisely starving for, desperately chasing in this fast, digital, and concrete world full of mess.

How to Reduce Stress and Find Inner Peace

Don’t be hooked by your thoughts. Getting focused or involving oneself with productive work helps in reducing the stress to a great extent. Connecting with your body is essential to reduce the stress. The only way to get rid of stress is to find your work you’re meant for. In the profound words of Thomas Carlyle, "Blessed is the man who has found his work; let him ask no other blessedness."