"Brake" Before It's Too Late

By Natalie Cheung | Illustrations: Yi-Mei Liu | Layout: Michele Liu

The clock strikes 12, and you find yourself still enthralled in a heap of books, playing the all-too-familiar game of “How long can you stay up until you fall asleep on your desk”. The only entities that seem to be accompanying you in this midnight silence is the glaring stare of your desk lamp, daring you to stifle your yawns and swallow your tears. You curse yourself as you make yourself another coffee, chugging another tin of Red Bull, treating each sip of liquid as a life-saving elixir. For the past two years, you’ve been priming yourself for the ultimate bloodshed, as have your fellow peers, to earn a place behind the golden gates of an Ivy League that appear routinely in your dreams. You’ve been burning night oils for the week yet the only flame that seems be extinguishing is you. But the end is so near, just one more push, and you can finally taste your hard-earned victory.

Fast forward a decade, you just finished another case at your prestigious law firm. Your hands burn as they make contact with your steering wheel seared by the excruciating sun, yet you don’t pay any heed to the pain. You drive on, as snippets of a feud between you and your colleague ignite your dormant anger. Still in thought, you park your car in the driveway. Out of the corner of your eye, two kids chatter on their bikes, smiles on their faces that remind you of a morning glow. You sigh in exasperation, contemplating as your youth slowly slips through your finger cracks, your aging body the sacrifice in the tumultuous tug of war with life.

Running on Low Fuel

In the 21st Century, your 9-5 day job and your 45 IB grade seem to be the dictators in your lives, morphing the harrowing reality of people sacrificing their souls into “running an endless race” that probably won’t end until decades later. People are operating on caffeinated shots just so they can step on the gas at 30 miles per hour on a seemingly infinite highway.

But what if your body is operating on a low gas meter and your foot is tired from pressing on the same pedal? Before a car runs out of gas, it will display signs of “fuel starvation”. When cars are running out of gas, it shows engine sputter, intermittent power surges, and in some serious cases car breakdowns. Oddly enough, this can be applied to humans as well. Remember the cramps you get right before making a speech in front of your year group? The sudden urge to empty your bladder before an assessment? The tormentful itch on your hands that seems to get redder after you finish a group project? Also the headaches that affect your concentration? The above stated might just be symptoms, worsened by stress.

Living in a society that still stigmatizes discussions surrounding mental health, it can be daunting for someone to muster the courage to open up about the emotions and feelings that they are experiencing. This can lead to them internalizing and compressing those tiresome feelings within themselves, contributing to their worsening mental well-being. There is evidence to suggest that stress can be a contributing factor to a multitude of health problems. Stress can worsen the conditions of heart disease, asthma, obesity, diabetes, headaches and gastrointestinal problems.

It was only a few weeks ago when I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The doctor clarified that those with high self-standards and expectations in their pursuits often struggle with IBS, in particular students and adults working in a high-stakes working environment. I had been struggling with this since Primary, yet it was only until now have I identified the cause of these problems. Even though this is a functional disorder, it does not constitute that suffering from this is easy. Though one may be able to seek time periods of normality, when stress becomes part of the academic life, it can lead to untimely symptoms of bloating, constipation, cramping and

With almost half of Hong Kong secondary school students experiencing signs of depression, it is undeniable that there are external and internal factors that negatively contribute to their physical and mental well-being. One recent study also discovered that those with stress related to their jobs had an 80% higher chance of developing depression within a few years than those with lower stress levels. When every member of this society neck-deep buried in their work or academics, the daunting combo duo of depression and anxiety can impact one’s ability to operate.

Because no two people are the same, people’s causes of stress and their reactions towards it can be vastly different. Some people are simply more reactive to stress than others, as there are differences in temperament (a series of inborn personality traits that may be existent during infancy) that can lead to some people being naturally resistant in face of stressful circumstances. Others may feel differently, with feeling more threatened and feeling less equipped to cope with such emotions.

With stress factors being so deeply integrated into their personal lives (with work and academics), directly leading to outcomes revolving finances and privilege that can eventually affect their future, people may be susceptible to ignoring the existence of these emotions present in their lives at such a level of intensity. This can lead to emotional detachment where people are unable to fully process the emotions that they are experiencing within themselves, or even fail to engage with such feelings with others in their lives. With the lack of compassion from themselves and others, they can easily be sent into a point of breakage.

These people are slaving away with their lives, ignoring the warning lights and blatant alarms that their bodies are ringing. But what is truly causing people to pay them no heed, and how do people cope with the stressors in their lives?

Trapped in A Cage

If you are an avid appreciator of poetry, then you would have heard of the poem “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou. In her poem, she powerfully illustrates the effects of oppression by juxtaposing the predicament of a caged bird and a free bird. Taking inspiration from Ms Angelou, for my interviewee, society can lead people to be subject to emotional oppression and repression, both externally and internally.

Our society can be a place of ruthless judgment. With precedents of rewarding those who are most “hardworking” and punishing those who lag behind, it can be speculated that being understanding and accepting of others is an important aspect that we as a society lack. With the ideology of encouraging people to sacrifice their wellbeing and souls to achieve a so-called higher standard of living, they may be coerced into believing that putting their emotions aside. Yet it is fundamentally flawed that whilst the refrainment of mental health discussions is encouraged, the act of someone opening up about their struggles can be seen as a burden and inconvenience to both them and others is truly appalling. Not only does this stigmatize the discussion of mental health, it also worsens the physical and mental well-being of those who face high stress levels.

In response to my question of “If you had to use a metaphor to describe your life, what would it be?”, a Year 11 student had replied with “A cage“. In their lives, people undergo events that have varying levels of significance in one’s life. This is a normal phenomenon, as developmental processes people experience mold people into the beings that they are, as humans are creatures heavily influenced by their personal surroundings and encounters. For most people, life is not a linear road up the peak, filled with troughs and amplitudes that increase the level of difficulty of the climb. In face of such difficulties, particularly in instances where they do not have a concrete support system of friends and family to rely on, some people may feel trapped and alone in their lives, to fight an invisible enemy that seems to be throwing boulders and obstacles on their shoulders and ways of betterment. The feeling of restrictment and suffocation can be intense, when they feel like the rest of the world has turned their back on them, where the inability to escape can eventually lead to the mentioned disorders and health issues. Yet some people are masterful at masking their issues, that they could be driving near the side of an abyss and no one would be able to discern the direness of their situation.

This is why we as a society need to stop once in a while, and put our foot on the pedal.

"Braking" and Deaccelerating

There is a term “deceleration” that describes the car driver’s act of slowing down a car without the anticipation of losing control over the car. Yet again, this can be eloquently used in the context of humans. As humans operate the steering wheels of their lives, they make active decisions that involve important aspects, including determining whether risking their emotions and state of physical and mental wellbeing would have a significant impact on their lives. For some people, ignorance of such emotions may signify to them productivity or being resilient to being “on track” with their lives. But this is a misconception with dire consequences. This is not a dichotomy, where adopting one aspect means the complete dissertation of the other. The act of taking a break is not an elimination of productivity or a disruption in your daily livelihood, it simply means providing you with a small window of time and breathing space where you can indulge in the rare instances of thought recollection.

Taking a break can bring benefits beyond one’s prediction. This can even sound foreign in the ears of those who value their profession or academic lives over that of their personal one, which can often limit their ability to come to recognize that they are in need of a temporary escape from their daily stressors.

Research has found that taking breaks throughout the day can bring positive impacts in one’s daily life. Whilst taking breaks can help prevent stress and help to maintain performance, it also helps reduce the need for a long recovery at the end of the day, which can allow a person to complete work more efficiently. Another study also discovered that by taking lunchtime breaks, even the short time period of detachment from work will allow a person to temporarily relieve themselves of the stress levels caused by work and increase energy levels over time. Additionally, having social breaks can be partially beneficial in facilitating recovery, the process of returning your mental and psychical function systems back in control. It can help a person reset their moods, enhancing positive mindsets and wellbeing, allowing them to experience comfort and soundness of mind. By engaging with others to discuss experiences or even just snippets of your day, it allows you to connect with a larger community and form a positive association with feelings afterwards.

Another aspect of breaks are mini-breaks. These can be short-lasting ones that last for a few minutes, like taking a few minutes to look outside your window to enjoy the view, or taking a short 15 minute stroll along the promenade near your work place. By indulging in something else other than your work for a short period of time, it can still have an effect on increasing your wellbeing and future productivity.

These tiny steps will help you keep track of your progress and whether you are truly making an attempt to distance yourself from your stressors, even momentarily.

Take a Break Before It's Too Late

Different individuals can have drastically different interpretations of life, as everyone’s experiences are unique in their own way. The optimistic view of using “sapling” and “clouds” while contrasted with “cage” to symbolize life encapsulates the essence of Maya Angelou’s poem. In a life where people can be trapped, it also allows them with opportunities to grow and to break out of the bars. In a life that is constantly changing and morphing, it can only be assumed that humans will have to change along with it, or else you’ll be left behind. Yet none of that would be possible, if a person has lost the spark and has burnt out.

Taking advantage of public holidays and integrating short breaks into your busy life will bring you significant benefits in increasing your emotional and mental wellbeing. Rebuilding your energy and freeing yourself of such burdens temporarily will eventually lead to increased positive levels of happiness.

The stresses that stem from these changes in your life can be overwhelming or even suffocating, thus it is more than crucial to be able to acknowledge that your body does not run on infinite fuel. By having a more balanced emotional health, it will allow for more space for growth and help you realize your full potential. It is pivotal to listen to the signs that your body is alerting you to pay attention to, and learning how to cope with the stressors around you and providing yourself with a healthy outlet of releasing the negative pentup emotions that you are experiencing, may be beneficial for you in the long run.

It is easy to neglect such breaks even if one has the intention, when one gets too consumed by work or frustration. This is why it is essential to hold yourself accountable of regularly stepping away from the stressors, such as agreeing with your friends to a short tea break, setting alarms on your phones, plan something you enjoy doing and noticing the benefits it brought you, or keeping a note near you that reminds you to take a break.

“I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul.” This famous quote from Poet William Ernest Hanley from “Invictus” is of such philosophical wisdom. You are the ultimate decision-maker in your lives, and the fate of your soul can only rest in your hands. Whether you choose to enact change by making slight alterations to your schedules, slipping in seeps of breathing space in your airtight day will allow you to recover after an intense period of your life.

Life is not a highway. It is a road with twists and turns, no matter your destination, it will still take strife and effort to achieve the assets that you have gained. You cannot operate on the same car to drive you for the rest of your life without taking the time to refill the gas tank or recharge. Everything around you is changing, and there is nothing in your way that prevents you from taking a short break, and admire the place that you have come to. Because dear reader, you deserve to rest in times of the 21st Century. Take a break, before it’s too late.