MANILA, Philippines — Sometimes it feels like we are burning both ends of the candle and the rat race has taken over every aspect of our lives. I guess this is the result of having too much competition and being wired 24/7.

From the time we get up, we have to get ready to bring the kids to school and go to work and even before we have stepped out of the house we have already been bombarded with all sorts of news, mostly about bad things happening in the world.

Once we step out of the house the real chaos begins with the traffic. We get upset about the public transport because we have to take it or we are on the other side and have to deal with the stop anywhere, road blocking and irrational speeds at which pedicabs, tricycles, jeeps, taxis and buses dominate the roadways.

When we have work we are stressed and when we have no work we are even more stressed. At work, you have to contend with too much work, too many deadlines and all sorts of problems including office politics. On the other hand, when one has no work, not only do you have no money but you lose your self-esteem and panic about the future, mostly the lack of it.

Going home is a struggle getting there and you never know what is waiting for you. You get your bills for the cell phone, water, electricity, cable and credit card. If that doesn’t get you, some other challenge will, like your children’s homework, a leaky faucet, broken this and that, problem with the neighbor and other things you did not even think possible.

How then can we cope with all this stress? First is to realize that stress can and will kill you before your time. Of course, that may solve all your problems but there are better ways to overcome the situation. Among my favorite ones are the following:

Get a home service massage. You don’t have to worry about the parking and traffic getting there since they come to you and you tell them what time to come. It is a great way to relax our muscles and get all the kinks out. It also forces you to detach from doing other stressful things for about an hour. The cost is reasonable so that shouldn’t add to your stress level.

Watch a funny sitcom you like on TV or get the DVD series. This makes me laugh and somewhat neutralizes all the bad news you had to go through the whole day. I also find it educational in that you may be able to pick up some witty lines. You can also fantasize about living the life of your favorite character. Most of all it costs next to nothing.

Go out and exercise. It might seem hard at first but if you get used to it and it can be fun and healthy. If you can’t run maybe just take a brisk walk and enjoy the evening breeze. Look for a nice safe place where you can jog and break into a sweat. This will make you stronger and more capable in facing the stress you encounter on a daily basis.

Get a life, do something on your weekends like a sport or hobby. The fresh air will do you good and it also improves your mental abilities. You get to meet people with similar interests and some hobbies can actually pay off. I started collecting gold coins when gold was under US$300/oz, now that it is over US$1,500/oz, there are not too many investment opportunities that can match that.

Spend quality time with the family and do something everyone likes. This can be quite satisfying especially if everyone is happy. Laughter is really a stress reliever, more so if you do it together with your loved ones. It also has the additional benefit of establishing closer ties and building up good will to make up for the more difficult times when everyone is a bit cranky.

Have a pet, it doesn’t have to be a dog, it can be a hamster, a cat, a fish or a number of other common pets. Choose one that will not stress you out with the additional cost, attention and upkeep. Studies have shown that pets are good for your health and people recovering from strokes and other debilitating illnesses. Pets give you something to do to keep your mind out of the bad things you encounter daily and you can even play with them.

I am sure you can come up with so many other things to do to relieve your stress, what works for some may not work for others. The key is to find out what works for you and find a way to build it into your schedule, you’ll be glad you did.

* * *

(Comments may be sent to chua.george@yahoo.com)