Psychologists say that stress can be good and bad. At the workplace, good stress is that which is productive because it helps us perform better. Bad stress, on the other hand, is counter-productive because it impedes our performance.

It disturbs me that the latter variety is now accepted as part and parcel of work. In the last two decades, the number of people reporting negative effects of stress at work has gone up more than four times. But, since everyone “suffers” from it, no one seems to be doing anything about it.

The link between stress and health

We ought to understand the link between stress and our health. Bad stress makes us susceptible to all kinds of illnesses—from the less serious common cold to the more severe heart disease, high blood pressure, and strokes. It also leads to alcoholism, over-eating, drug addiction, smoking, depression, and other harmful behaviours.

In spite of these adverse outcomes of stress, most of us accept it as a price we must pay for survival and/or success. Is stress inevitable? Can’t we have a stress-free working environment? Can’t we enjoy our work, and experience no bad stress at all? I believe we can.

The key to making work stress-free

De-linking our work from stress is vital for our health and happiness. For work to be genuinely stress-free, it is first important that we enjoy it. When we spend our time doing what we don’t particularly enjoy for most part of day, it’s bound to cause stress.

According to Elizabeth Scott, who coaches people on effective stress management, “It’s important that you’re spending your days doing something where you feel challenged [but not overwhelmed], appreciated [but not desperately needed to the point that you can’t take a day off], and where your strengths are being utilised, among other things. Without these and other key factors, you can be at risk for burnout.”

So if you feel stressed at work often, it’s time to reflect and ask if you’re enjoying your work. If the answer is no, acknowledge the need for a change. You may change your working style or manage your days better. Or you may want to switch jobs—or even fields! One way or the other, what’s important is that you enjoy your work.

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He decided to meet the fakir and invite him to live with him in the palace. When the fakir accepted the king’s invitation readily, it surprised the king a little as he was expecting that the ascetic will have to be persuaded to live and enjoy the opulent life. Nevertheless, the king took the fakir along with him and made lavish arrangements for his stay.

Was the King Hoodwinked?

At the palace, the ascetic settled down quickly and started enjoying all the royal luxuries —imperial clothes, rich food and all the aristocratic comforts that were provided to him. At first the king ignored this sudden change in the hermit’s stance. But soon he started suspecting that perhaps he had being hoodwinked by all that show of austerity and that his holy guest was just another ordinary human. But he kept his thoughts to himself and continued to observe the fakir.

Six months on, the fakir was still enjoying his stay and didn’t seem to mind this majestic life one bit. By now the king had become convinced that the fakir had only been pretending in the forest. He decided to confront him.

On meeting the fakir, the king said, “When I first met you, I was impressed by your austere lifestyle and minimum needs. Your life was an example of renunciation. But what I now see is totally the opposite. You seem to be enjoying every material pleasure there is. So what is the difference between you and me?”

The fakir smiled and said, “I was waiting for you to ask me this question but I will answer you tomorrow morning.” The next morning the fakir appeared before the king wearing his old tattered clothes.

The Fakir Leaves

The fakir said, “I am leaving for an unknown destination. If you really want the answer, you will have to leave your palace, your family, your kingdom and accompany me.” The king was stunned. He said, “You know, I can’t do that!”

The fakir smiled and replied, “Yes, I know. And that is the difference between you and me. I can leave all pleasures and comforts whenever I want because I am not attached to them. You are. I hope you have your answer now.”

It dawned on the king that the fakir was indeed great. He pleaded him to stay on but the fakir had made up his mind. As he was leaving, he said to the king, “Remember, what you hold on to, holds you. And since I hold on to nothing, I have nothing to renounce. I am forever free.”

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