It’s the time of the year when a majority of Indian festivals have concluded and it is time to get back to work. The festivals come with a lot of celebrations, parties, and changes in dietary and work routine and getting life back to normal, sometimes, becomes a daunting task. This is because the body is not ready to get out of the festive mode with all food and rest and the mind is not prepared to get back to work. However, what needs to be done, needs to be done. Spiritual leader and motivational speaker Gauranga Das Prabhu shares tips to overcome the stress and feel motivated.
A graduate of IIT Bombay, a meditation expert, sustainability and climate warrior, social welfare catalyst, member of ISKCON’s governing body commission and director of ISKCON’s Govardhan Ecovillage (GEV), which has won the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Award in 2017, Das Prabhu, who has authored Art of Resilience and Art of Focus, is actively involved in enhancing leadership effectiveness and governance of temples and communities globally. Das Prabhu lays out a plan in these five points on how to get rid of post-festive stress:
Set the intention right
To embark on any journey in life, it is important to set the intention right. “The intention should not be of fear or desire but it should be of, at least, duty if not love,” says Das Prabhu. If we relate this to getting back to a normal life, the intention should be to get back to your duties, whether it is around work or your purpose in life. Holidays might have made the body lazy but the intention should be to slowly embrace the change and do what needs to be done. Gauranga Das Prabhu advises you to start your day with prayer and meditation instead of scrolling social media. It will help your mind get back to the stability that is required to work. “If you begin the day unstable, you will go through the day unstable and end the day highly unstable. If you begin the day with stability, don’t bombard your mind with social media in the morning. Begin the day with prayer, connecting your soul to the supreme ishwara (God) and through that prayer experience the existential supreme power that is controlling all of us,” he says.
Start with the right inspiration
“You should have the right inspiration to embark on any journey in life,” says Das Prabhu. The inspiration should be, I am trying to get my mind back to a normal routine so that I can progress at work, he advises and mentions that it is important to feel every emotion you are feeling but to balance the act of keeping that emotion and finding the right inspiration to get back to work is the key here. So, in this case, your inspiration can be your duty at work, or your duty towards your family or your own self, when getting back to work. Find your inspiration and drive your mind toward it.
Integrity is important
Your managers or clients have trusted you with the work you have been assigned. They have given you certain powers. Now, your integrity lies in using those powers and not misusing them, says Das Prabhu. So, while getting back to your normal life, make sure you are not forgetting your integrity. Avoiding tasks or deceiving your managers just because your mind is not ready to get out of the festive zone, is not right.
Intelligence is the key
The human being is an intelligent creature and it is in your hands to make the right choices in life. “Your 9 pm to 9 am is in your hands. 9 am to 9 pm is not in your control. So, utilise the time in your control to stabilise your mind. It could be through proper sleep, meditation, chanting of mantras, and yoga.” Once you become prone to the practice of controlling your 9 pm to 9 am time, you are bound to have a stable mind at work. Make the decisions with intelligence. For example, if you have not stopped yourself from eating sugar and sweets during the festivals, intelligence would lie in mindful eating as you embark on the post-festive journey. Or if you have been partying for a couple of days, intelligence would lie in practising yoga and meditation to get back to a normal routine.
Lastly, don’t forget the intensity
“There will be inevitable obstacles through the day, but you should have sufficient intensity to overcome them,” says Das Prabhu. It’s not going to be a cakewalk. And there will be many temptations in the way. Your mind might desire rest and your stomach might desire the junk food you have been eating during the festivals. There might also be days when your co-workers will be on leave and you will be overburdened with work. However, Das Prabhu suggests that you should have sufficient intensity to overcome all the challenges and embark on your journey towards overcoming the post-festive stress and getting back to a normal life.
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