Stress Response and Ways to Manage Stress

The article mentions Hong Kongers are the fifth most stressed population globally. Pressure comes from studies, long working hours, low wages, and high housing prices. However, Hong Kong people do not have enough time to deal with the stress, so that the stress will be accumulated for a long time and then release the stress all at once during long holidays. After a long vacation, he returned to a stressful life again. This universal approach to stress is unhealthy in the long run. The mental state often wandering in a state of tension and relaxation can easily lead to a mental breakdown and more chances of suffering from depression. So we have to deal with stress carefully.

Hong Kong people generally coping with stress by traveling and outing. But be careful, when you often use travel to become a way of coping with stress. You may become evasive. Excessive splurge during travel may also lead to indulgence. So don't rely too much on travel to coping with stress. In addition, going to outdoor activities is a good way of coping with stress. An outing can momentarily leave the current stressful living environment, relax and get in touch with nature. Watching more green plants can be relaxing. It can also create time for family or friends to enhance relationships.

In addition, some Hong Kong people will choose negative ways to cope with stress, such as drinking, smoking, gambling, etc. Drinking in moderation is acceptable, but drinking too much or even getting drunk is not a good idea. Many people like to feel drunk because they can leave reality, stop thinking or even lose consciousness. This means that you can escape the pressure of reality for a short time, but this method is not healthy. It's a sign of escape. As for smoking. Some people think that smoking can relax the whole body and achieve the effect of reducing stress. Cigarettes actually contain nicotine. Nicotine can be used as a chemical to increase the amount of dopamine. Many studies have confirmed that nicotine is more addictive than most drugs and only less than cocaine and heroin. It affects the reward pathways in the brain, which makes the smoker happy, and then naturally addicted. And many studies have pointed out that nicotine can cause negative effects such as carcinogenesis and sexual weakness. So smoking is definitely not a good way of coping with stress.

Stress management is used to improve the function of daily life, using different skills or performing psychological treatment to control a person's stress level, especially for chronic stress management.

Everyone has a way to manage stress. Hong Kong people generally use these methods to manage stress, such as finding friends to chat, yoga, massage, finding interests, listening to music, playing with pets, and taking a deep breath. Finding friends to chat with is a normal and important social activity. Communication is an innate ability of human beings, which makes you feel happy and relaxed. In addition, some people use yoga to manage stress. Yoga Nidra meditation is associated with increased endogenous dopamine release in the ventral striatum of the brain and it is pleasant to release the right amount of dopamine. The regular practice of yoga relaxation has been found to reduce tension and anxiety. The autonomic symptoms of high anxiety such as headache, giddiness, chest pain, palpitations, sweating, and abdominal pain respond well. It has been used to help soldiers from war cope with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). 2019 study suggests that yoga Nidra can alleviate stress and improve the self-esteem of university students. Discovering interest is a great way to manage stress. Feel happy when doing activities you like, such as cooking and singing. Listening to music, playing with pets, and taking a deep breath are all effective ways to manage stress.

Psychotherapy is needed when traditional stress management methods are not effective. Commons are music therapy and cognitive therapy.

When we encounter some changes, challenges, or difficulties in our lives, such as examinations, job challenges, emotional problems, and unfortunate accidents, we will reduce stress. Sometimes, sometimes certain 'happy events such as getting married, having children, or even getting promoted can put pressure on us.

In fact, stress may not be completely harmful. The so-called 'water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn a boat'. The focus is on how we manage and use them. Appropriate stress can give us the motivation to fight and help us realize our potential, but when the stress is too great to be able to bear, it will cause you serious physical and psychological effects.

No one can completely avoid stress. What we can do is learn how to deal with it effectively. Therefore, 'stress management is a lesson for Hong Konger.