Studies in Comparative Stress Reduction

Blenderlaw catches something at fighting stress in the uk and in miami:

The BBC and the Miami Herald both addressed the issue of how to fight stress this week. The proposed solutions aren’t exactly the same. Top of the BBC’s list are lightboxes – which we don’t need in Miami!

The BBC’s list:

• lightboxes,
• get out in the garden,
• get yourself out of breath,
• cook a meal from scratch,
• stroke a cat,
• pat yourself on the back,
• take up a lifetime hobby,
• do something for someone else…for free,
• seek intimacy and
• good things take time.

The Miami Herald:

• exercise,
• positive thinking,
• hypnosis,
• massage,
• tai chi,
• yoga,
• laughter,
• music,
• meditation,
• biofeedback,
• make a friend,
• acupuncture and
• get going.

Blenderlaw again:

There are some similarities here: both lists suggest exercise and positive thinking, for example. But whereas the Miami list is largely focused on what the stressed out person can do for herself, the BBC’s list encourages more looking outwards. Even stroking a cat is presented as being a good thing partly because it involves giving: “in a way we reward ourselves by being nice”. Nowhere does the Miami list suggest that being nice to others or volunteering can help you fight stress.

She's right. But if I were making the Miami stressbusters list, suggestion #1 would be, “Don't drive.”