Who is to blame for this stress?

A survey by Regus shows an increase in stress levels among Indians over the last year due to  various factors. Are Indians equipped with coping mechanism to deal with challenges? Speak Up finds out...

Status is judged on the basis of material possessions
As a culture influence that we witness all over the world, we too are getting more and more materialistically driven. Since we are adopting a materialistic lifestyle, lots of comparison and competition starts right from our childhood. We get used to stress right from the time we appear for our exams during schooling and college days. In the race to get better, we want to earn and spend more money. As long as the going is smooth, you rejoice the comforts of life but if there is a sudden change in the situation, people are not able to cope with it. Due to the constant race and competition in wanting to be better than others, one is not able to cope up with tough situations because there is no strong foundation. Judging one’s status based on material possessions and not on inner qualities, psychological peer pressure and comparison are bogging down people with stress.
Sunit Bhatewara, Corporate coach & consultant

One needs coping skills to deal with problems
Unfortunately, there are no short-term solutions to beat stress but long-term ones are available. Nowadays, working professionals have to deal with various types of stress like managing personal finances, work-related pressure, meeting deadlines, along with coping up with expenses and demands at home front. The problem is that people tend to make plans when the going is good but the same is neglected when things go downhill. The process of planning is equally important in bad times as it will help in bringing back the good times.
To deal with a variety of problems one needs resources and coping skills. The lifestyle that we lead is very hectic, especially of working mothers who have to handle problems at the home front as well and can’t afford to leave the jobs as it supports a certain kind of lifestyle. The working lifestyle of those who work in shifts, especially those who work in BPOs and KPOs, adds to stress that the body cannot cope up with. Also,  working young professionals are nowadays getting caught in the vicious circle of credit borrowings, which is very hard to get out of. In such cases, coaching on financial management is required.   Natasha D’ Cruz, Psychologist

Keep a balance between earnings and spendings
The level of stress that we face depends on various parameters. The work load and meeting the expectations is a constant stress that one has to face on a daily basis. Besides, with the cost of living increasing every month and increments done only once in a year, one has to constantly find solutions to keep a balance between earnings and spendings. However, the appraisals are performance-based and varies and does not even cover the rising inflation. Nowadays, working professionals are changing jobs, even if they are satisfied with their current job, in order to get a raise in their salary, which will help in meeting the rising expenses.
For example, there is a petrol hike every two to three months, which directly affects the prices of various other commodities and services. Even if you are earning well, it is always too short to meet all the expenses and at the same time make enough savings for rainy days.       
Vikram Pendse, IT professional

Planning is the key to a stress-free and balanced life
I am an entrepreneur and come what may, I have to find ways to keep myself going. I am not married so I don’t have a family to look after but I have a company of my own, which I have to manage and run. Until now, I have not faced any problem or work-related stress. For me everything is going smoothly because I adhere to a quarterly planning of equating my expenditure and incomes.
I follow a stringent time schedule wherein I devote 70% of my time to work, 20% to community-related work and rest to my family and relatives. I devote my weekends to community work. I keep a tab on my short-term and long-term expenses. Planing is the key to my stress-free life, at least till now. I cannot say anything about the future.     
Mahesh Mitkari, entrepreneur