Last year, a doctor from Dibrugarh came to see me. She was running a clinic, managing a household, and dealing with patients who sometimes did not pay. She said, “Hem da, I am always tired but I cannot stop.” Sound familiar?
Stress in Assam is real, and it is specific. We deal with monsoon-related disruptions, political uncertainty, distance from major business centres, and the pressure of keeping up with the rest of India — all while maintaining our cultural identity. Add long commutes on NH-37, tea garden politics, and the daily news cycle, and you have a recipe for chronic tension.
Three techniques that actually work
I do not believe in complicated stress management systems. If it takes more than five minutes to explain, most people will not do it. Here are three techniques I teach at Hem’s Academy that have worked for everyone from tea estate managers to university lecturers.
1. The 4-7-8 breathing method
Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 7, exhale for 8. Do this three times before any stressful situation. I have seen this technique calm nerves before board meetings, examinations, and even wedding speeches. For a deeper dive into breathing methods, read my breathing techniques for anxiety post.
2. The two-minute body scan
Sit or lie down. Start at your feet and move attention slowly up through your body. Notice where you are holding tension — jaw, shoulders, lower back. Do not try to fix it. Just notice. Awareness alone begins to release the tension.
3. Mindful transitions
The moments between activities are where stress builds. Driving to work, waiting for a meeting to start, standing in a queue at the bank. Instead of checking your phone, take three conscious breaths. These micro-pauses accumulate into significant relief over the day.
What I tell every professional I work with
You cannot eliminate stress. But you can change your relationship with it. Stress becomes harmful when it is unconscious — when you do not realise your shoulders have been up near your ears for three hours. Meditation teaches you to notice. And noticing is the first step to release.
If you are dealing with workplace stress specifically, my posts on mindfulness in daily life and meditation for stress offer practical guidance you can start using today.
Start with five minutes. That is all I ask. The rest will follow naturally.
