| Stress has become one of the silent killers of people | | | | due to overwork, planning too much, thinking |
| in today's world. There are many different types of | | | | excessively about something, making destructive |
| stresses that people can suffer from; and these | | | | schemes or conspiracies, etc. This is a very |
| stresses are deteriorating people's wellbeing to such | | | | dangerous type of stress, because in the long run, it |
| an extent that they are becoming victims of several | | | | would affect all the faculties of the brain and prevent |
| physical and mental ailments. Stresses can arise from | | | | it from functioning properly. |
| work, family relations, financial problems, education | | | | Vata dosha is responsible for mental stress. In |
| problems, appearance of the body, physical state of | | | | particular, the prana vata is responsible. This is the |
| the body, etc. There are so many stresses that is | | | | sub-dosha of the vata dosha which is responsible for |
| difficult to discuss all of them under one heading. | | | | the normal functioning of the brain. |
| In simple terms, stress can be defined as the | | | | The following dietary guidelines can help to get relief |
| condition when some aspect of the human body - | | | | from mental stress:- |
| either physical or mental - is aggravated beyond a | | | | # Sweet, sour and salty foods must be had as they |
| particular limit. It can have several repercussions on | | | | help in balancing the vata dosha. |
| people, such as:- | | | | # Milk and dairy products must be included to a fair |
| Feelings of isolation, frustration and depression | | | | amount in the daily diet. |
| Raising the level of the blood cholesterol and blood | | | | # Preferably, all foods must be cooked in a little |
| pressure, which can cause fatal cardiovascular | | | | ghee. |
| diseases | | | | # Get a full body massage done, particularly with |
| Lowering the immunity of the body, making it | | | | ksheerabala taila or dhanwantari taila. |
| vulnerable to other diseases | | | | # Get adequate sleep per day, for about eight hours |
| Lowering the mental capacity of the person | | | | in the least. |
| Since there are different types of stresses and there | | | | (3) Physical Stress |
| are different methods to tackle them, let us study | | | | Physical stress or strain occurs when the body is |
| them individually. | | | | excessively used, such as by too much exercising or |
| (1) Emotional Stress | | | | by performing too much hard labor. |
| This is the stress caused due to emotional issues in | | | | Symptoms of this type of stress are pain in several |
| relationships including conflicts, romantic rejection, | | | | parts of the body, loss in memory and concentration, |
| separation and even death. The extent of emotional | | | | inability to focus on things, unclear vision, etc. |
| stress depends from one person to another. It all | | | | This is by far the most important of the three types |
| depends on how emotionally balanced the person is. | | | | of stresses, as in this all the three doshas can be |
| Emotional stress generally affects the heart and the | | | | vitiated. Shleshaka kapha can cause problems in the |
| brain. It can bring about a change in the eating and | | | | proper lubrication of the joints and vyaana vata can |
| sleeping patterns of the individual. Most emotionally | | | | tamper with normal circulation of blood in the body, |
| unsettled people overexert their brain by thinking | | | | along with pitta vitiation. Since vata and kapha are |
| constantly of the issue. | | | | the more affected doshas, steps are taken to |
| From an Ayurvedic point of view, emotional stress is | | | | balance the vata and to make the kapha stronger. |
| placed in the category of Sadhaka pitta vitiation. This | | | | The following dietary rules can be obeyed to achieve |
| is a sub-dosha of the pitta dosha which looks after | | | | this purpose. |
| the functioning of the heart. | | | | # Have cooked apples once a day. These are great |
| The following dietary points can be considered to | | | | stress-busters. |
| bring about a reduction in emotional stress:- | | | | # Other foods that are good for removing physical |
| # Eat sweet foods to bring the mind back to a | | | | stress are coconuts, almonds, ghee, milk and almost |
| balanced state. Sweet and juicy foods are very | | | | all dairy products. |
| beneficial. | | | | # Massage your own body with oil everyday. |
| # Every night before going to bed, drink a cup of | | | | # Use of the shirodhaara therapy is considered |
| warm milk with some rose essence and its petals in | | | | useful. This is done by lying flat on the ground, while |
| it. | | | | a pot full of oil is hung right above. A hole is made in |
| # Use cooling spices such as cardamom, coriander | | | | the bottom of the pot such that oil from the hole |
| and mint in the diet. | | | | drips right on the space between the two eyes. |
| # Get a good head massage done with either | | | | Among the herbs that are generally prescribed for |
| coconut oil or with sandalwood oil. | | | | the treatment of all three types of stresses are |
| # Include bitter and astringent foods in the diet. | | | | included arjuna, ashwagandha and brahmi. Their |
| # Do not stay up late at night. | | | | preparations are also very commonly prescribed. |
| (2) Mental Stress | | | | Read More on Treatments by Ayurveda and Home |
| Mental stress occurs when the person overexerts | | | | Remedies at |
| the mind or uses it in a wrong way. This is also | | | | Read more about Ayurveda at World's Largest Portal |
| known as negative stress or distress. This is caused | | | | on Ayurveda and Ayurvedic Remedies. |