How stars beat stress!

Think it's just us mortal folk that have to deal with things like anxiety? Not so. Even stars get the blues. We asked some of TVs busiest faces what they do to stay calm. These are their secrets...

Rajeshwari Sachdev

I get into one project and stick to it. That way, I make time for myself. I do not have fixed working hours but I don't work beyond a certain time. That's the only way to do it. You need to be disciplined. Come on time, leave on time, sleep on time. Indiscipline, wasting time, and poor time management stresses me out. All I can do then is take deep breaths and control my anger.

Initially, people may have a problem with my coming and leaving on time. Later, as things start falling in place, everybody likes and respects me for it. It is best for everybody concerned. Everybody has a family to go to, everybody wants to get home. At times, things go wrong and it's nobody's fault. You need to take it in your stride. When that happens, I chill out with friends and enjoy gossiping. Otherwise, the best stress buster, if circumstances allow, is working for limited hours. You need to sleep, relax and unwind. If you don't do that, your work also suffers.

When you are not comfortable in a working situation, you are not giving your best. When we work, we give every bit of us -- body, mind and soul. So, we need much more time to unwind and indulge.

Rohit Roy

I don't know what the word stress means. I believe that worrying is insulting God because ultimately everything is controlled by him. I don't take stress, although I may give it. There have been times when I've shot for long hours, been on the sets for 48 hours straight, but I have never complained.

When you go for a shoot, you know there are going to be long hours, erratic timings, and some cranky people around, but what the heck? It's all one big family, so enjoy. One essential difference between the rest of the clan and me is that I work from 9 to 6. I don't believe in working from 9 am to 10 pm. What life do you have if you work like that? I need time for myself, moments to share with family and friends, go to the gym. Work will continue. Why ruin the present in the mad haste to secure a future?

Don't go through the motions of living. Get a life. If I have a bad day at work, I call my wife, Mansi. It's an automatic instinct. Earlier, I'd talk to my mom, now it's my wife. If I have a bad day at work, even little things affect me at home. That is why they say it is necessary for an actor to marry an understanding woman. I've married an understanding actor. That helps.

Nausheen Ali Sardar

I do get stressed about a lot of things -- reaching the location on time, shooting not starting on time, having more than two shoots on the same day. What stresses me out totally is performing on stage. I always develop some kind of pain when I have to do a stage show. Once the show is over, the pain subsides, so it is all stress related. And although I have done around 70 stage shows, the anxiety still exists. The biggest stress buster for me is classical music. Singing helps me destress big time. Now that I am not doing a daily show, I also get to spend quality time with my family. Doing a daily soap is stressful, period. Especially for the cameraman, director and main lead. The other artistes leave once they are through with their scenes, but the main lead has to be on the sets all the time. With time, you learn to take things in your stride. I learnt yoga for a year, so I do exercises, pray, take deep breaths and meditate. That diverts my mind. If you play the main lead in a daily soap, you have to forget everything else. There is no personal life. Hats off to those who manage to do it for years on end, but I need my family and friends.

A year before leaving Kkusum, I met with a car accident, was hospitalised and recuperated at home only just two days. The next day, I reported to work with a shoulder frame. That was the worst phase. My shoulders would hurt even if someone touched me. If I have got something in return, I deserve it. In the end, it's worth all the stress.

Smriti Irani

When people say television actors are more prone to stress as they have long working hours, that's true, to an extent. We work for 12 hours or more at a stretch. The main leads work every single day of the month. You do not get a holiday unless you specifically ask for it. If you ask me, I just do not think about it. If you start thinking about long working schedules, you get hassled. For every problem, there is a solution. You need to keep that in mind, view the situation and take things in stride. Eventually, things have a way of getting sorted out. If they don't, you walk away. When you act with all your heart, acting is an emotionally draining profession. It takes a toll on you. The heavy-duty emotional scenes drain you out. When I'm shooting an important scene, I want to concentrate, give it my all, so it is a one-take shot. That helps. I cut myself out of the character immediately after the scene is canned by taking a breath of fresh air, chatting with friends, sipping tea.

Do not take your character too seriously. At the end of the day, you are acting. Be normal. The best stress buster is finishing your work and going home to your family. There is nothing better to beat stress than leaving your work behind.

Achint Kaur

I do get stressed at times. I am a very hyper person, so I need to be on my feet all the time. As long as I'm busy, I'm fine. I do not destress the conventional way. The best remedy for stress that works for me is keeping myself mentally occupied completely. If I were to sit down and make a hue and cry out of every little thing that goes wrong on the sets on a daily basis, I'd do berserk.

There are times when things are delayed. Technical problems happen, but you find your way out. What's the big deal? You could get offended if someone was in the habit of reporting late to work, but that has never happened to me. Even if you are not shooting, there are lots of things to do on the sets, so much you can occupy yourself with. So, why crib? I have loads to do, so I'm in a very chilled out state. The best place to chill out is with family at home. There, you vegetate, you can simply be. I'm at peace at home.