Living and Working in Mumbai: How to beat the everyday stress

Surviving in Mumbai is seriously not for the fainthearted. One minute, you’re trying to beat the rush to get to work early. The next, you’re watching over your shoulder to avoid the oncoming taxi.

To be honest, folks living in this part of the country deserve special accolades for their ability to stay sane in the middle of all the crazies.

In case you missed the evening gossip, a recent study revealed that31 percent of working professionals in Mumbai suffer from stress.

What does that tell you?

That surviving in Mumbai takes its toll on people’s health.

The question then is, "how can one beat the stress and stay sane in Mumbai?"

Keep reading to find out.

Smile and laugh…. Again…. And again

Studies have shown that having a good laugh is a good way of reducing stress. Whether you're laughing at a joke, movie, or a gist with a friend, it pays to constantly keep the grin going.

Laughter helps you take in more oxygen-rich air while stimulating your heart, lungs, and muscles. Laughter also increases your brain’s release of endorphins.

By and large, laughing keeps you activated and relived.

The question then is, “how can you keep the smile going in the middle of your everyday hustle and bustle, especially living in Mumbai?” The short answer is to surround yourself with happy people and activities, including your friends, kids, partner, neighbors, games, movies, outgoings, colleagues at work, etc. In short, people/activities that give you things to smile about.

Visit a spa center

Sometimes, it pays to take a proactive approach toward de-stressing. Admittedly, generic solutions like staying around happy people help, too. But most times, what you really need is an actual de-stressing mechanism. Like a spa session.

At a spa, you'll be under the care of a massage therapist – someone with the experience to get the knots out of your aching body.

Mind you; you don't just walk into a random spa or beauty parlor expecting to get the best de-stressing experience. You should do your research to find the all beauty services around your surroundings.

Get a home massage

It's possible you may not be able to afford the price of a massage session. In that case, your best bet is to get someone to do it for you at home. That could be your partner, housemate, friend, or neighbor—basically, anyone you trust.

As you know, there are different forms of massage. But for someone who's lived through a typical Mumbai stress, the best kind of massage is a Japanese Massage.

Why Japanese Massage? In fact, what’s Japanese Massage?

Japanese Massage is a type of body relaxation technique that combines the following approaches to bring relief in times of stress, depression, anxiety, and general body/mental weakness.

Kneading
Tapping
Pulling
Pressure Application

During a Japanese Massage, the specialist targets your neck, arms,thighs, legs, back, and mind with an aim to bring comfort on a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual level.

Get a pet

There’s no way you will ever feel stressed around a pet. Even if you’re having a bad day, watching your golden doodle run into your arms as you step inside the house will surely leave a grin on your cheeks.

Studies have also confirmed that interacting with petscan help decrease cortisol levels – the stress hormone – in the body.

Staying positive

One of the biggest contributors to our everyday stress is negative thoughts. Many of us spend the better parts of our days thinking about how the world has been unfair to us, how XYZ isn’t working for us, how we’re yet to get our business advertising tactics right, what the next day will be like, and so on.

These thoughts weigh heavy on the heart and stress the mind even more than most physical activities.

If you’re feeling stressed after the day’s work, a good way to de-stress is to reflect on the positives of the day rather than wallowing in pits of regrets or disappointments.

Even if there are no positives, try to create some. If you can't, flashback on the ones you've had in the past. There is so much to be grateful for, in life; one just needs to get their mindset right.

Eat right

Eating healthy is paramount if you want to stay ahead of the Mumbai stress. As it is, things are rough and tiring already in this part of the world. The least you can do is load your body with the right amount of fuel you need to go through the day.

What should you eat, you wonder? Well, this is not a dietary post. However, we advise against binging on sugary stuff, fatty snacks, and all those early morning pick-me-ups.

We’re not saying you shouldn’t snack or have your soda. Just keep it minimal. As for things you should eat, we recommend going for plenty of fruits, seafood, and fresh foods, in general.

Last words

Mumbai is never going to calm down tomorrow or anytime soon. As the economic epicenter of the country, it’s poised to get even more stress-packed.

It is up to you to look out for yourself and protect your mental and physical health. We sincerely hope you'll put our advice to action today.

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