How do you manage stress?

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Well, I Have My Own Little Ways!

You know, I have often wondered why we make stress such a complicated thing. Sometimes, all it takes to spoil our entire day is a small argument, an unexpected expense, a phone call we were not prepared for, or a disappointment that refuses to leave our mind.

And sometimes, there is no particular reason at all. You wake up feeling a little heavy, the tea doesn’t taste as good as it usually does, and even the newspaper seems to be carrying bad news especially for you!

I have such days, too. I am no saint who can smile through every difficulty, nor have I mastered the art of keeping my mind peaceful in every situation. I get irritated, overthink things, and sometimes replay an unpleasant conversation so many times that I could probably write its screenplay, direct the film, and play every character myself!

But over the years, I have discovered a few little things that help me feel better. Nothing extraordinary, nothing expensive. Just ordinary things that fit into an ordinary man’s life.

Sometimes, I Recite the Hanuman Chalisa

There are days when my mind is so crowded with thoughts that I don’t even know which problem to tackle first. On such days, I sit quietly and recite the Hanuman Chalisa.

Sometimes, I know every word by heart; at other times, my mind wanders off to tomorrow’s worries even before I have finished a few lines!

Still, I return to the verses. There is something comforting about that familiar rhythm, that feeling of faith, and the thought that I don’t have to carry every burden entirely on my own.

My problems may not disappear when I finish, but I often feel a little calmer. And sometimes, that little bit of calm is all I need to get through the day.

Sometimes, I Simply Listen to Songs

Not every problem needs a serious discussion with oneself. Sometimes, it needs a good old song!

If I am feeling low, I might play an old Hindi song that takes me back to another time. Suddenly, I am no longer sitting in my room worrying about the present. I am somewhere in my childhood, perhaps remembering an old friend, a school corridor, a familiar street, or a journey whose destination I have long forgotten but whose memories I still carry.

And if a Kishore Kumar song happens to play, well, the situation becomes even more interesting. The problem is still there, but now it has some background music!

I don’t know whether music solves anything. I only know that sometimes it makes a difficult day feel a little less difficult.

Writing Is Another Little Refuge of Mine

I particularly enjoy writing nostalgic stories and blogs. There is something magical about revisiting the past through words.

I might begin writing about a small-town sweet shop, an old friend, a forgotten festival, or the days when meeting someone meant knocking on their door rather than sending them a WhatsApp message.

One memory leads to another, and before I realise it, I am smiling at something that happened twenty or thirty years ago.

The funny thing is that I often sit down to write because something is bothering me, but I end up writing about something that happened long ago. Perhaps the mind has its own way of taking us somewhere we feel safe.

Writing also gives me a chance to put my thoughts in order. Things that seem enormous inside my head sometimes look much smaller when I put them on paper.

And even if nobody reads what I write, I have still had a conversation with myself. A rather useful one, I must say!

And Then Comes My Favourite Stress Buster: A Cup of Chai at a Roadside Tapri!

Now, this one deserves a special mention because, honestly, some of my best stress-management sessions have happened at the most ordinary roadside tea stalls.

Give me a small chai ki tapri, a steaming cup of tea, and a couple of good friends, and I can forget half my worries without even making a conscious effort!

There is something special about these roadside tea shops. No reservations, no fancy interiors, no expensive menu, and certainly no need to worry about whether your clothes match the ambience.

You simply reach the place, pull up a stool, stand around the counter, or find a little space wherever you can. Someone orders tea, someone starts a conversation, and before you know it, the entire group is involved in a discussion that has absolutely no agenda.

And that, my friend, is the beauty of it!

One moment, we are discussing the state of the country. The next moment, we are arguing about cricket, recalling some ridiculous incident from our college days, pulling each other’s legs, or discussing why a particular film hero was much better in the old days.

Sometimes, the conversation becomes so passionate that you would think we are sitting in Parliament, deciding the future of the nation. In reality, we are standing beside a roadside kettle, waiting for the chaiwala to refill our cups!

And the best part? There are no holds barred when it comes to the masti, laughter, leg-pulling, and honest discussions among friends.

Of course, there are limits of respect and affection, but otherwise, nobody has to maintain a carefully polished image. You can speak your heart, disagree with your friends, laugh at yourself, share your frustrations, and even admit that life has been getting on your nerves lately.

Someone will listen. Someone will offer a completely impractical solution. Someone else will make a joke at your expense. And, somehow, everyone will end up laughing.

Suppose you arrive at the tapri carrying the weight of an argument at home, a problem at work, or a worry about money. You may initially sit there quietly, staring into your tea. Then a friend notices your expression and asks, “Kya hua, bhai? Chehra kyun latka rakha hai?”

And that is it. The discussion begins.

You tell your story, perhaps exaggerating a little for dramatic effect. Your friends listen, interrupt, ask questions, offer their opinions, and occasionally remind you of the foolish things you did yourself.

Before long, the serious conversation turns into a round of laughter.

The problem hasn’t necessarily disappeared. The bills are still waiting, the office work remains unfinished, and the person who irritated you yesterday may still be equally irritating tomorrow. But you return home feeling lighter.

That is what I love about these chai sessions. They allow me to be myself without any pretence.

I don’t have to be the wise man who has answers to everything. I can be confused, annoyed, silly, sentimental, or completely unreasonable for five minutes. My friends know me well enough to understand the difference.

And sometimes, all a person needs is a place where he can stop pretending that everything is fine.

For me, these roadside chai ki tapris are not merely places to drink tea. They are little meeting points of friendship, memories, laughter, debate, and the kind of conversations that can wander from politics to poetry and from childhood mischief to the price of tomatoes.

The tea may cost very little, but the experience is priceless.

If someone asks me to name one of the most important things that keeps me stress-free and cool, I would happily put these chai sessions right near the top of my list.

A cup of chai, a few old friends, and an evening without any particular purpose. What more does an ordinary man need sometimes?

Sometimes, I Go for a Little Walk

No fitness tracker, no complicated target, and no determination to complete ten thousand steps before returning home.

I simply step outside.

I look at the trees, notice the people going about their business, watch a child playing, or stop for a moment to observe the evening sky. Sometimes, I buy a cup of tea and stand there doing absolutely nothing important.

It is surprising how much of life we miss while sitting indoors, worrying about life.

The walk may not change my circumstances, but it changes the scenery in front of me. And occasionally, that is enough to change the mood inside me, too.

And Then There Is Tea at Home, Too!

I have a soft corner for those little pauses that come with a cup of tea. There is no need for a fancy café, an expensive coffee machine, or a picture-perfect setting.

A simple cup of tea, a few quiet minutes, and perhaps someone who is willing to listen without interrupting every sentence with a solution.

Sometimes, I talk to a friend. Sometimes, I sit alone. And sometimes, the tea gets cold because I am too busy thinking!

But even then, the pause helps. It reminds me that not every minute has to be productive, and not every problem has to be solved immediately.

I Also Try to Do a Few Very Ordinary Things

When I feel overwhelmed, I sometimes put my phone aside for a while. There is always another message, another piece of news, another opinion, and another reason to compare our lives with somebody else’s. A little distance from all that noise feels refreshing.

If a problem seems too big, I try to deal with just one small part of it. If there is a bill to pay, I look at the bill. If there is a phone call I have been avoiding, I try to make the call. If the whole house looks untidy, I might begin by clearing just one table.

I don’t always manage to do these things neatly or on time. But doing one small thing gives me a sense that life has not completely slipped out of my hands.

And on particularly tiring days, I allow myself to rest without turning it into another reason to feel guilty.

Not every day has to be a remarkable day. Some days, getting through the day peacefully is an achievement in itself.

Does All This Solve My Problems?

Of course not!

There are worries that remain even after a walk, disappointments that return after a song, and problems that refuse to go away despite the most sincere recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa.

Even the most enjoyable chai session cannot magically settle every dispute or pay every bill. Sometimes, we finish our tea, laugh for an hour, and return to the same responsibilities we left behind.

But I think that is perfectly all right.

I don’t expect these little things to solve everything. They simply help me find a little breathing space between a problem and my reaction to it.

And if something is troubling me deeply for a long time, I know that talking to someone I trust or seeking professional help is not a sign of weakness. Sometimes, we need more than our own little ways to feel better.

But for the everyday stress of ordinary life, I have learned to appreciate ordinary comforts.

A prayer. A song. A cup of tea. A walk down a familiar road. A conversation with an old friend. A roadside tapri where nobody cares how important you are in the outside world. A nostalgic story waiting to be written.

Perhaps this is what managing stress looks like for me. Not becoming a person who never worries, but remaining a person who can still find a little joy in the middle of worry.

After all, life has never promised us that every day will be easy.

But some days, an old song plays at just the right moment. A childhood memory brings a smile. A few lines of prayer settle the heart. And an evening spent laughing with friends over a humble cup of roadside chai reminds us that there are still small, beautiful things worth pausing for.

And for the moment, that is enough for me.

Tell me, what are your little ways of dealing with stress?

Is it music, prayer, writing, cooking, gardening, talking to a friend, or simply sitting at a roadside chai ki tapri and discussing the world with your gang?

I’d love to hear about those ordinary little things that make your difficult days a little easier.

Because sometimes, the simplest ways of living are the ones that help us the most. And sometimes, the best therapy doesn’t come with a prescription. It comes in a small glass of chai, served hot, with a generous helping of friendship and laughter.