Common Talk Weeklyshuang yu zhou kan
issue date

Making the best of stress
December 3, 2003

Plan, act, relax

孙子兵法曰：上兵伐谋，其次伐交，其次伐兵，其下攻城。本文分上中下策来试论应对压力的办法，着眼于积极向上，力求智取。

—洪建福

Every one of us has duties to both his family and his community. So stress is inevitable for us all. Proper stress can play a positive role in our lives.

However, stress can harm our health when it goes beyond one's mental tolerance.

The best way out （上策） is to relieve "extra stress' by yourself, because most of your "extra stress" comes from yourself. If you are diligent and active, the more you've got, the more you want. Then you overwork and overload and fall into trouble. No one can do better than you to persuade yourself not to do so much. If you seek a balance between work and relaxation, your "extra stress" will certainly be reduced.

You may still have troubles even though you have told yourself to do less work. You may have to overstrain yourself. Under this condition you can take the second best plan （中策） — combat all the difficulties. Since you want more, you have to pay more, and you have to face the problems and fight them:

  1. You should have courage and self-confidence. Don't be afraid of difficulties. Nothing is too difficult if you put your heart into it.
  2. Use your head and get some good ideas such as: (a) Keep your eye on the main, or most important, opportunities. Work is always infinite while your energy is finite. So you have to prioritize before you do any work. The goal is to kill two birds with one stone. (b) Think the problems over and divide the easy ones from the difficult ones before you set about your work, and then settle them one by one. (c) Focus your strength on a particular point when you come across a difficult problem. If you work out a certain part of a problem from its very beginning, it may be easier for the following work.

If you can’t get rid of all your "extra stress" by using these methods, then there is only the worst thing to do （下策） — endure stress. You may need to learn how to live with stress. Nevertheless, it may be helpful to talk to your loved ones or a close friend.

Happy Hong, Common Talk 的热心读者，希望通过英语结识更多的同道者，挖掘生活的点滴乐趣。

Steps to relieve stress
People nowadays are facing different levels of stress, from different aspects of their lives. We should all learn how to relieve it when it is there. Whenever physical symptoms appear, the first thing I try to do is to free my mind from whatever it is that is causing the stress, at every possible time, such as after work, weekend, or days off and then:

  1. I put whatever problems aside and surround myself with something I like. I may turn on music and sing my favorite songs while I sweep the house with the broom. I water the plants and am surprised to find my efforts have created something fruitful. I find such work is very helpful to alleviate stress by distracting me from what's on my mind.
  2. Eat scientifically, exercise properly and sleep soundly. Strong physical build-up is, undoubtedly, a powerful weapon against stress.
  3. I do at least one thing I think is meaningful or worthwhile. Meet friends, watch a good movie, attend a concert, see an art exhibition, or simply read a good book. Find something entertaining yet encouraging to keep your spirits up.

Shirley Lin is glad to have the chance to see how the city has grown more and more beautiful. She loves her surroundings and hopes to contribute to the growth of cultural diversity in the city.
Shirley, 居厦8年，深深热爱这座城市，渴望能获得更大的成长。

Let it all out
Trying to chat in a foreign language may be a good way to relieve yourself from heavy stress. It is a pity that most Chinese are forced to learn English only in order to get a certification that will benefit their work. In my opinion, free talk in a foreign language may bring us the following pleasant experiences:

Bob, the director of Canvisa, a language training center in Xiamen, is also a drifter through China.
Bob, 现为加威英语培训中心负责人，其自称为流浪者。