It's that time of the day when Hitesh Verma is oblivious to the world around him. No phone calls, no plans, no conversations, no chores. He walks to the end of the lake every evening after work and simply unwinds, with himself, a ritual that the banker has been following for a year. “A high-stress banking job, constant competition, investment and future plans, in the pursuit of happiness I was losing my peace and sanity. I was becoming irritable, was putting on weight, was complaining so often and despite a fat bank balance, wasn’t having any fun,” Hitesh recalls how he’d forgotten to enjoy the simple things in life like reading, listening to music, cooking or simply lazing around. So, he began walking, which gave his body and bones a new lease of life and on the way back simply stared into nothing! “Not that it’s been a magical transformation, but there is a new me that I discover everyday, I have time to look beyond work, people, material things and simply enjoy the quiet moments,” Verma prescribes this dose for everyone.

With increasing commercialization, constantly chasing time, competing with ourselves and the desire to be at par with the good life, we punish ourselves, stressing our bodies and soul, agrees Dr Arun Kochar, a consultant interventional cardiologist. Continuous levels of stress are detrimental for health, for the body releases hormones to combat stress and there is a rise in blood pressure, glucose levels and heart rate. “Studies indicate that this race against time makes you look older, feel more tired and takes a toll on your emotional well-being as well,” warns the doctor. Blank out your thoughts for half-an-hour a day, prescribes the doctor, who says that we must use this time to soothe our nerves, be ourselves, nurture our passion and forget about gains and losses. “In a recent WHO survey, good health was described as not only physical, mental, social, but spiritual also. Get in touch with your inner-self and help your body heal. This will release endorphins which are good for health,” Dr Kochar practices the therapy each day.

Being far from the madding crowd, nods Dr Sandeep Chatwal, is the need of the hour. Unwinding alone helps you introspect, sort out issues, especially where improvement is required, for one’s routine doesn’t give any time for positive autosuggestion. It’s an advice the doc gives to his patients and follows himself. “Away from everybody, even if it’s in my room, charges, energizes and elates me. And on other days, I simply wander off with my camera,” Dr Sandeep believes that each one of us has an untapped potential to feel on top of the world. “Seek, and you will find,” he smiles.