Lions in Your Head: Taming the Stress Circus

-

Imagine this: it's been a long, exhausting day. You’re finally in bed, cocooned in your blanket, about to drift off when suddenly—beep beep beep. The home alarm screeches, jolting you awake. Someone has triggered the motion sensor. Your heart races as your brain processes the situation: burglars.  

Adrenaline courses through your veins. Your heart pounds, your pupils dilate, and your senses sharpen as your body enters full fight-or-flight mode. You quietly tiptoe downstairs, hyper-aware of every creak in the floorboards. Your body’s response is incredible—a primal, powerful system designed to keep you alive.  

But here’s the twist: what if your internal alarm system never turned off?  

 

Alarmed Much?

The fight-or-flight response is life-saving, no doubt. From avoiding car accidents to surviving surgeries, this system ensures we live to fight another day. The problem arises when our internal fire alarm goes off all the time.  

Think about it: what is the probability of a burglar coming into your house? Hmmm… something like rarely? 

A car crash? It might happen… but not always, right? 

A lion suddenly entering your home? Ooff… I dunno… how about none?

So, why is our body’s stress response triggered all the time?

Why does our brain send stress signals to our adrenal glands, flooding us with cortisol to keep us going?  

This was fine for our cave-dwelling ancestors, who needed to outrun lions or dodge spears. But today, the lions are gone, and yet our bodies remain on high alert. Why?  

The answer lies in three simple words: procrastination, unplanned chaos, and, surprisingly, deadlines.  

 

Running on Empty

Now, you might say, “Deadlines are important! They help us finish things!” Sure, they do. But here’s the catch: deadlines, when paired with procrastination, are like firecrackers in your brain. You wait, you wait, and then—BOOM! Your body is thrown into fight-or-flight mode to help you finish everything at the last minute.  

I’ve been there. You probably have too. You scramble to meet deadlines, juggling tasks like a circus performer. Somehow, you always make it. But here’s the thing: over time, this habit wrecks your body.  

Stress isn't just a mental toll; it’s physical. Constant cortisol pumping through your veins slows down your body’s ability to rest, repair, and grow. It’s like running a marathon with no water breaks—eventually, your system collapses. 

 

Commit to Quit

So, what’s the solution?  

Well, I found mine in two simple concepts: discipline and chore charts.  

Let’s start with discipline. It’s often misunderstood as a rigid, joyless way of life, but it’s not. It’s the art of turning “one day” into “day one.” It’s what keeps us committed to our goals without overloading our brain with unnecessary decisions.  

I used to wonder why people like Steve Jobs or Mark Zuckerberg supposedly wear the same type of clothes every day. I mean, isn’t that boring? But when I looked deeper, I realized it’s actually a form of discipline. They say that standing in front of a wardrobe and deciding what to wear wastes valuable time and mental energy every day. By removing that choice, they eliminate confusion, save time, and keep their focus on more important things.

The same logic applies to having a fixed schedule. When you commit to a routine, your mind recognizes that you’re serious about your goals. It starts working with you instead of distracting you. People often say the mind is cunning—it tempts you with distractions just when you’re trying to focus. But here’s the interesting part: when you’re fully committed, your mind knows you don’t have energy to spare for distractions. That’s when it starts acting like a filter, helping you block out what doesn’t matter.

This is what people mean by the “state of flow.” It’s that incredible moment when nothing else matters—time feels irrelevant, and you’re completely immersed in what you’re doing. And here’s the best part: your mind is the key to unlocking that level of focus. Once it understands your commitment, it’ll guide you into that flow state.

 

The second concept, chore charts, might sound dull, but they’re a game-changer. Think of them as a GPS for your life. Without one, you’re driving aimlessly, burning fuel (read: your energy). With one, you know exactly where to go and how to get there.  

Creating a chore chart is simple:  

1. Take a deep breath and list everything you need to do.  

2. Write it down—on paper, an app, wherever.  

3. Sort tasks by priority (shortest deadlines first).  

4. Start ticking them off one by one.  

It’s incredible how much easier life becomes when you don’t have to juggle your responsibilities.  

 

Choose Your Mode

Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying you should live like a robot. Life isn’t just about ticking boxes; it’s about savoring moments of joy. But here’s the thing—if we let those joyful distractions take over, we lose our direction. 

The beauty of discipline and planning is that they create space. Space to relax, space to recover, and space to truly live. And when your mind isn’t battling constant stress, it’s free to focus on what really matters.  

So, the next time you’re tempted to procrastinate or live by the adrenaline of last-minute deadlines, ask yourself: Do I want to live (and die) in survival mode, or do I want to thrive? The choice is yours.  








Popular posts from this blog

The Mom-ster Magic: Navigating the Menopause Maze as a Teen

-
Image
Guys, you know… my sweet, loving, always-there-for-me mom has turned into… um, let’s call her  The Storm Queen . I swear I’m not exaggerating. One day, she’s raining emotions; the next, she’s a blazing fire; occasionally, she’s just a quiet, cloudy sky. It hit me this morning when I realised that my mom has been going through something huge, and I’ve been totally clueless.  At first, I was confused—actually, scratch that—I was overwhelmed. At first, I thought, What’s going on with her? But honestly, my reaction wasn’t great. If she snapped at me, I snapped back. If she got upset, I’d distance myself. It wasn’t that I didn’t love her—it was just hard.   The Rock and the Rift Since I was a kid, I’ve seen my parents as this perfect, unshakable team. They were that cliched couple who completed each other’s sentences (or, in my parent’s case, did each other’s work). But suddenly, I started noticing cracks in their dynamic. Tiny arguments became a little more ser...
Read more

Thread of Life: Secrets to Discipline, Success, and Satisfaction (No Magic, Just Habits!)

-
Image
In 2018, I was experiencing a major upgrade in life. I would become a twice-born, someone who had been given the upanayana, the sacred thread.   At that time, my reasons for getting the  Janeu  were relatively tiny. It felt like my kind of fancy accessory—something I could flaunt and say, “Hey, look at me! I follow the oldest, deepest, and most profound school of thought—the Vedic philosophy.”     > To me, the  Upanayan Sanskaar  was like a golden ticket. It meant I could finally study the Vedas, a dream I had nurtured since childhood. It was also a way to show everyone I believed in my culture, roots, and every little ritual—even if they seemed “uncommon” or “orthodox” to others.  > More than anything, I wanted to feel  Brahm —that eternal truth, the consciousness our rishis have written about with such vividness. I wanted to touch that wisdom, experience the formless, and reach heights in life itself.    I was read...
Read more

Dear World, My Mom’s Not Lucky—I Am!

-
Image
You know, I’m tired of hearing people tell my mom, “You’re so lucky to have a son like Mitra. I wish my son were like him.” Whenever I hear this, I want to roll my eyes and say, “Oh, come on! You have no idea how much effort and sacrifice my mom has poured into shaping me into the person you’re praising.”  Here’s the truth:  She’s not the one who got lucky. I am.   How I Came Into This World My story didn’t start in the hospital. It began in heartbreak. My parents had been married for eight years, endured three devastating miscarriages, and heard more than their share of cruel whispers: “She’s barren. She’s cursed.” Society didn’t waste any time pointing fingers at my mom, as if my dad had no role in the process at all. (Classic, isn’t it?)     But my parents, stubborn believers in  the  higher power, didn’t give up. They studied  garbhasanskaar , the ancient practice of prenatal education, and decided to lean into the wisdom of our ancestors...
Read more

Success Isn’t Just Tall—It’s Wide Too!

-
Image
Disclaimer Before you dive into this blog, let me share something important. Everything I’ve written here is based on my beliefs, observations, and the little knowledge I’ve gathered so far. I don’t intend to offend or challenge anyone’s deeply-held beliefs, especially since I know some of you reading this have far more life experience than I do. My goal isn’t to debate but to offer a perspective. All I ask is that you read this with an open heart and mind—whether you agree or not is entirely up to you. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   Sometimes, I sit and wonder what success truly is. How does one become successful? Some say, “Work hard, and you’ll be successful.” But I’ve seen people who work harder than anyone else and are still nowhere close to succeeding. Others say, “Work smart, and you’ll be successful.” But I’ve seen people w...
Read more

From Love to Entitlement: When Pampering Creates a Monster

-
Image
The other day, I saw a girl upset with her parents on her birthday. She frowned and said, “This isn’t what I wanted. Why didn’t you do it  my  way?”  Another time, a boy won a national championship. Instead of celebrating the win, he went straight to his parents and asked, “So, what are you buying  me  for this?”   Then, a teen handed her parents a list of birthday demands ranging from the latest iPhone to designer sneakers. She didn’t  ask ; she  handed  it over like an invoice.   And there was a boy who genuinely believed everyone around him should consider  him  their leader because, in  his  words, he was the “handsomest of all.”   I couldn’t help but wonder:  How did we get here?     When Did Gratitude Turn into Entitlement?   It’s heartwarming to see parents go out of their way to make their child’s dreams come true. But what happens when those dreams start to fe...
Read more