Dubai: Most of us might have reached the point where we just can't take it anymore. When the stress has become too much and we just need to call a time-out.
Thankfully there are many ways of carving out a little peace for ourselves using those few free minutes available to us.
Almost 60 per cent of readers, who answered gulfnews.com's poll on how they relieve their stress, said that listening to music or mediation and praying are the best stress relievers.
The poll was a follow-up to a story written on jars of fresh air being offered to London workers by the British National Trust, after a study showed that 74 per cent of workers said they felt stressed every day and 70 per cent said escaping to the countryside helped them feel relaxed.
Gulf News interviewed readers over the phone to see what they do to relieve stress in their day-to-day lives.
Peter Van Veyeren, head of business continuity management at a bank in Dubai, believes that traffic is one of the main causes for stress in general. "I ride a motorcycle to work; it's the best de-stressing tool because you don't get caught in traffic."
Van Veyeren has some advice for the average motorist. "Don't get worked up so quickly. People seem to have a very short fuse and get worked up quite quickly — just take a deep breath."
Dubai-based teacher Ann Al Sakar says she always takes a quite moment on her own to de-stress, and says to other people: "Always breathe, take a deep breath."
Kellie Drayton, a self-employed writer based in Dubai believes that when it comes to stress, people need to find something higher than them and just let everything go. "What's meant to be is meant to be and you can't change it."
Aakash Arun Harode, a restaurant supervisor based in Sharjah, prefers to take a walk along the beach after his duties are done to relieve his stress. He offered some advice to help others with their stress: "[The] best solution is to walk around the beach in windy weather. I think that is the best solution for them."
Abu Dhabi-based aviation maintenance worker Felix Melecio Sabiniano also offered similar advice. "[They should] remain quiet, meditate to find out why they are stressed and talk to someone if they have to or take a walk so they can think about things," he says. A walk along the corniche, or listening to music help him relax.
Ezzat Moghazy, a physiotherapist living in Dubai says that stress is not just physical, but emotional and spiritual as well. He suggests that praying is a good way to escape stress. He also believes that surrounding yourself with love and family is a good way of escaping stress and that while people are at work there is a simple exercise anyone can do.
"[It's] something very easy. Get up and do a full extension of your spine. Take deep breaths in and out. This relieves whole stress on the body and neurological centre."
There are many forms of stress relief available to people that are essential in restoring inner peace and physical health, says stress.about.com.
Gulf News asked:
How do you cope with stress?
Do yoga 5%
Listen to music 27%
Shop 5%
Play a sport 9%
Work 5%
Eat 10%
Meditate/pray 29%
Get a jar of fresh air 11%
Total number of votes: 3,513
