Global Q&A: ‘What stresses you most and how do you handle it?’

What stresses me the most is definitely the way of life today; always running everywhere, always in a hurry with no time to enjoy the moment. We must change it, because it causes many problems in our body and mind (back and neck problems, anxiety, lack of concentration). In my opinion we have to learn to live the moment, one by one, but the fact is that we’re always thinking about the next thing to do. This is not healthy, and I think that we must make the effort to change it because it is damaging for our physical and mental status.

Uncertainty is probably one of the things that stress me out the most. Waiting for expected answers in an estimated time, is definitely something that can alter and undermine my state. Now, especially in recent times, I have learned and understood that things always happen for some reason, and therefore, I do my work with enthusiasm and project my tasks trying not to disturb my efforts. I think it is the best way to channel energies in a positive manner and to avoid an overwhelming dependence on this continued uncertainty.

My husband’s got leukemia. And yes, I stress a lot, but I’m with him all the time and so I handle it okay. I just go with him to the Wesley for treatment every three weeks; sit there with him all day; then come back again and drive him everywhere.

What stresses me the most is the traffic of cars and minibuses. There is too much traffic congestion, the sounds of the horns are very strong, drivers mistreat passengers, the buses go very fast in competition to collect more passengers. To handle this, what I do is try to relax and be calm.

Well I’m not actually from this country so the stuff that used to stress me? I’ve just moved to New Zealand four weeks [ago]. That would probably be my problem right now is to settle. Basically finding a place to stay, finding a job is very hard. I’m from South Africa. … I like walking around, something you can’t do in South Africa. I’m from Johannesburg. The crime there is very hard. Back then that’s what my stress was, the crime and trying to get around. It affects us all the time, and the way the country is run as well, services, they’re still getting up on their feet so nothing works.

I really do not become stressed out at all. I can speed up if there is a long [waiting] queue in to the café, but I’ll take one after the other anyway, as they are coming in. As a matter of fact, I can in a way become stressed out by people who are telling me that I work too much during the summer. But I have a quieter period in the winter, and then I have the opportunity to recover, so that is not really a problem for me.

My mother and my family—I tend not to pay any attention. They always want to live your life for you [and] tell you what you should be doing. I used to try to do what they said or show them that I was trying—tried to win love in other words. Now I just live my life the way I want and the love of my wife and kids is all I need.

There is really nothing that could stress me, considering the stress we all know as the somatization of a state of angst. I would say that a stressed person is really sick in the psycho physiological aspects. … What bothers me the most in everyday living is the lack of solidarity with those that are exposed to all sorts of risks in the streets such as insecurity, danger of being run over, the difficulties of the elderly, or disabled people. It irritates me to see that people do not do good to others or help others anymore.

What stresses me the most is my job. I worry if I’ll manage my task in time and if it’ll be as it should be. We have a lot of deadlines at work, which makes my work stressful. And how do I handle my stress at work: I can always ask my colleagues for help; we work as a team. And I always try to think that even if I make a mistake, I can always learn from it. Otherwise, there are not so many other things that make me stressed.

Being a student is not easy. There is tons of homework with very little time to complete it, and balancing schoolwork and homework, dealing with peer pressure, is all quite stressful! I deal with the stress by listening to peppy music; I log online to divert myself, and also spend time with my close friends.

What stresses me out most is when people say that they are going to do something, and they don’t do it. I sit down and talk with them. Everyone has a picture in their head about who they are and what they want to do, and everyone struggles with trying to do it. I try to understand them, and looking at it from both sides helps.

Look for the Global Q&A column every week. Epoch Times correspondents interview people around the world to learn about their lives and perspectives on local and global realities. Next week’s global question: “How is obesity viewed in your society?”