Guest Lecture by Dr. S. Srinivasan

On Wednesday, 7th January 2015, Dr. S Srinivasan delivered a lecture at SIMSREE on the topic of 'Stress Management by Staying Alert'. He is the Chief Learning Officer at Wockhardt Foundation and MD at Wellness Consultant and has four decades of experience in healthcare and human behaviour.

He started off the discussion on a lighter note by explaining how stress forms an integral part of our lives. He stressed upon the importance of wellness and life skills by demonstrating several examples. Striking a balance between work and personal life is of essence and stress management involves mutually balancing the two in order to lead a stress free life. Stress is not what happens to us but how we react to whatever happens to us. In order to manage stress, we have to manage our reaction and not the stressor. And only an alert mind can manage its own reaction. So it is imperative that we stay alert and control our emotions and reactions to a particular situation.

He further emphasized the importance of 5S management in lifestyle which includes – sleep, sex, snacks, stamina and spirits. By using the 5S, we can manage the 6^th S i.e. soft skills and get ready to tackle the 7^th S which is ‘Stress’.

Dr. Srinivasan explained the concept of 'Amygdala effect' and also how different parts of the brain help generate different emotions and responses to a particular situation, sometimes increasing the stress levels. He emphasized upon the difference between 'high road' and 'low road' and how managing the two leads to effective management of individual stress levels. He then shared some anecdotes of how people who overcome their limitations and inhibitions lead a 'Balanced Life'.

We are really thankful to him for giving us great insights into the literal meaning of the word 'Stress' and giving us some tips in order to overcome it. The entire session ended on a positive note and it turned out to be a great learning lesson for all of us.