Don‘t Stress It

Steven Kang, a cardiologist, writes in his article “Stress Can Increase Your Risk for Heart Disease,” published in the Health Encyclopedia of the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), that: “Your body’s response to stress is supposed to protect you. But if it’s constant, it can harm you. The hormone cortisol is released in response to stress. Studies suggest that the high levels of cortisol from long-term stress can increase blood cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and blood pressure. These are common risk factors for heart disease.”

Here are seven simple steps to substantially reduce your stress:

1. Create a To-Do List: Start your day by listing tasks.
2. Estimate Time: Approximate how long each task will take.
3. Total Estimated Time: Add up the estimated durations.
4. Check Your Schedule: Find available time slots for your tasks, considering other commitments.
5. No New Additions: Pledge not to add new tasks unless urgent and important.
6. Recalibrate: Make your to-do list one hour shorter than the available time.
7. Use the Buffer Hour: Use this extra hour for emergencies or surprises, or for stress-free, high-value activities like exercise and reflecting on the meanings of the Quran; reading; or watching the sunset with your wife, which you were aiming at for a long time.

Let Qabil Ajmeri‘s words ring in your ears:

وقت کرتا ہے پرورش برسوں
حادثہ ایک دم نہیں ہوتا

Time nurtures for decades
An accident does not occur suddenly