Stress is nothing but non-specific response of the body to a situation. It is important to remember that the body chemistry does not distinguish between the anxiety causing, pleasant or unpleasant situations. In any of these situations, the body response is the same, resulting in fight or fly mechanism. The events that incite stress are called stressors.  Now-a-days stress is everywhere, no one can escape stress.  The following are some of the changes that occur in the body to protect itself from danger within a few microseconds. These responses of the body to a situation are known as fight or flight mechanism with inter alia, the following bodily responses:
1. Release of adrenaline and conversion of glycogen into glucose
2. Raised pulse
3. Raised blood pressure
4. Rapid breathing
5. Dilated Pupils

There are different ways to overcome stress –

1. Our body is the vehicle that enables to perceive, understand the world. It is because of the world that we are known in this world. It is through our body that we experience the world. It is only when we love our body that we will take proper care of it. Loving is not pampering. The following are some tips to deal with stress by making our body strong:

a. Have a regular medical checkup – Unfortunately we Indians are not health conscious. A regular medical check is a preventive measure, especially when one is beyond forties. It is advisable that if a person is below 40 he must have a medical checkup at least once a year. Beyond 45 years of age the health checkup should be at last twice a year.

b. Exercise regularly - To effectively cope with stress a healthy body is a must. One can raise defenses against stress by regular exercises. One may take any type of exercise. The exercise of walking is the best for all the ages. Walking as an exercise should be minimally five to six kilometers at a stretch at the speed not less than one and a half kilometer per minute. For a person beyond thirty-five, strenuous exercise is contra-indicated.

c. Don’t touch tobacco – Medical research has amply demonstrated that tobacco is carcinogenic substance. Research also says that passive smoking is more harmful than active smoking.

d. Mind what you eat – One must be careful about what one eats. What we are largely depends on what we eat. As far as possible, oily and pungent food should be avoided. This has tendency to cause more section of digestive acids, which erode the mucus membrane of the stomach. This results in ulceration. It is better if one avoids eating non-vegetarian food which is rich in calories and cholesterol and lack fiber.

e. Drink – Drink minimally three to four liters of water daily. Avoid alcoholic beverage. Alcohol contains calories but has no food value. Especially the use of tobacco with alcohol is injurious to health.

Stress takes a heavy toll on person’s health and his capacity to adjust with other. Modern life is full of stressors. The job life contains many stressors. Some of the stressors are intrinsic to the job life; some relate to the structure of the job and so on. There are stressors in the personal and social life of an individual. In a nut shell stress is everywhere these days. Stress has become chronic. As a result an individual faces many psychological as well as psychosomatic disorders.  One can cope with stress by regular exercise, not using tobacco, taking the right kind of food and calories; regular medical examination and meditation. The best remedy is to keep the mind calm. It is realized that keeping the mind calm is easily said than done. The best medication one can follow is to meditate. The idea is that in meditation a person takes away his mind for sometime from the usual surroundings, which serves as a breather.