Political Warfare Bureau,M.N.D.PostDate: 2017/05/01
Find An Outlet for Pressure and Release Your Vitality
(Li,Xiao-Sheng, psychological counseling teacher, Southern Mental Health Center, Ministry of National Defense)
The morning of early fall, when it still chilled, Zhi-Jie was lying on his bed. A severe headache was hammering him so badly that he had to wrap himself in the blanket, frowning and gnashing his teeth and being angry with this unjust world; several days ago, his boss had informed him that his company was moving to Mainland China…Thoughts of his kids who still depended on him, the huge household expenses, seemed to make his headache worse…
Before learning self-care, one must develop an acute self-awareness, which means to identify at an early stage the physical and mental changes resulting from the pressures of life. Here we provide several indicators. When you notice that you start to exhibit the following symptoms, you need to take extra care of yourself!
1.The frequency and severity of headaches increases. If they are not caused by physical factors, they are very likely reactions to pressure.
2. Tense muscles, usually around head, neck, shoulder and back.
3. Problems with digestive system, such as ulcers…
4. Rapid heartbeat, chest pain, agitation, impatience.
5. Feeling depressed, and down.
6. Emptiness and despair, loss of passion, feeling estranged.
7. Poor concentration, indecisiveness in even daily trivia.
8. Diminished ability to memorize, affecting judgment.
9. Negative thoughts for oneself and the situation one faces.
10 Poor quality of sleep, insomnia, or oversleeping.
11. Drinking and smoking more, withdrawing from relationships
12. Decreased sexual desire which probably leads to changes that cause depression and further affects one’s intimate relationship.
13. Difficulty relaxing, can’t rest.
When identifying several of the above symptoms, you should learn to relieve stress in order to reduce these symptoms in a timely manner. Here are some methods to relieve your stress:
1. Aerobic exercise: three times a week, 20-40 minutes each time will do. However, a 10-minute warm-up before exercising and a 10-minute cool-down afterwards are essential. You should do exercise that is balanced, coordinated and with a regular tempo: the heartbeat must reach 110-120 per minute for it to be effective.
2. Looking at old photos, listening to old songs, reading comic books, watching cartoons or re-reading storybooks that you read before, visiting relics, doing activities such as experiencing the old folk customs and seeing cultural artifacts
…all of these activities can satisfy the needs of “regressed“ defense mechanism, help you cope with stress, relax both mind and body and help feelings dissipate.
3. Get proper nutrients from the diet, such as protein, vitamins C and B, calcium and avoid high carbohydrate drinks, food with excessive additives or caffeine drinks.
4. Learn to appreciate yourself, understand your strengths and uniqueness and accept your drawbacks and the limitation of your abilities.
5. Seek professional help, such as Teacher Chang Foundation, psychiatric clinics at hospitals, social workers and psychologists in order to identify & solve the problems as soon as possible.
Life will never go off without a hitch. When you learn to find an outlet for your stress, when encountering setbacks you will be more at ease facing them. It’s like splashed-ink paintings, all dark and light colors are the representation of our vitality.
Last Updated: 2018/3/22 PageView: 1925