How To Manage Stress? IITian Monk Draws Work-Life Balance Lessons From Bhagavad Gita
Just as "virus" infects a hard disk, stress, anxiety and distress can infect the human mind, ISKON's Gauranga Das said.
Mental health management holds relevance in the minds of millions of people now more so than ever before. With advancement in globalisation and a developing Indian economy, Indians have an increasing requirement for tools to navigate their mental health in a professional corporate environment.
NDTV Profit interviewed Gauranga Das, governing body commissioner of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness and visiting faculty of IIM Nagpur to determine how to go about it.
Why We Feel Stressed And Anxious
Das described his interests as "academic" and relating to researching the Bhagavad Gita and applying its teachings in daily life.
A graduate of IIT Bombay, Das compared the human mind to a computer's hard disk and stated that elements such as stress, anxiety, distress and discouragement were akin to a "virus" that infects the hard disk.
According to him, this virus is caused by the improper management of the space between expectations and real life outcomes.
"Real happiness, joy and satisfaction is not a measure of how much you achieve but the gap between expectations and reality," Das said
Social Media Fasting
Das identified overuse of social media as one of the reasons why people experience distress. He noted that people inadvertently consume a lot of data via usage of social media apps for long hours.
He said that just because there are no defined parameters of how much data the mind can handle, doesn't mean one should bombard themselves with a lot of it.
He compared social media diet to a real life diet.
"If they eat 20-40 chappatis a day, what will happen to their digestive system?" he said.
Das advocated for a form of social media detox or "upvas", a word used in ancient scriptures to describe fasting. He describes the practice as staying away from food and water for a short period for spiritual reflection.
"I would like to add another dimension to it, of staying away from your smartphones, and from data," he added.
Work Life Balance Vs Work Life Purpose
He compares stress management in high pressure jobs to a "Himalayan car rally".
"If I say that I need to go on a Himalayan car rally but I need to make sure my stomach doesn't spin, and I need just a straight path....that is just not really possible," he said.
According to Das, Krishna from the Gita gives a very basic formula that focuses on "work-life purpose."
When one determines their life purpose, Das recommends aligning their work according to that purpose.
He noted that academies and workplaces gear people to focus on speed but not on direction.
"Along with the clock, there is also a compass," he said.
"Krishna begins by establishing purpose. Once the purpose is in place, then you can work backwards with a sutra for a peaceful life by taking care of four things," he elaborated.
He identified the first one as a balanced diet, the second as being control over recreation i.e to make sure to take recourse to the right kind of activites to rejuvenate one's mind.
"Watching hours of crazy YouTube videos will make your mind even more stressed out, " Das said.
He identified the third to be a balanced sleep cycle and the fourth and final element to be about work-life balance, which according to him, can only be handled when the other three are.
"Because work should be in such a way, of not just taking care of economic needs but emotional needs as well, by spending time with friends, family and relatives," he said.
