Living in a country where it is completely new to you is exciting and overwhelming at the same time. The place, the food, culture and environment is a marvel for foreigners and an invaluable experience to carry forward.
And then you start working in this country and get settled and the once excitement to something new, wears off and to most of us if not all, stress starts to take its turn for several reasons. No matter where you live, feeling stressed out is a universal feeling. It could be because of work, new environment, or the feeling of pressure. But here in Japan, you can have a unique experience to de-stress yourself and get back to solid ground and mind.
Things to Do in Japan When You Feel Stressed Out
For this article, we will list Japanese things to do whenever you feel stressed out so you’ll once again feel rejuvenated and maybe, your excitement will be renewed. Here it is.
1. Zen Meditation
Go out of your comfort zone and visit a zazen temple and try zen meditation. Zen meditation is a great stress reliever and research has proven that it is beneficial in the emotional, cognitive, physical, and spiritual well-being. It is basically meditation with specific breathing exercises and most importantly, concentration. In the practice, you are asked to sit in a cross-legged position and to shift your focus within yourself. Overall, studies concluded that zen meditation helps one to stay focused, calms and helps people to control their emotions and gets rid with unwanted distractions.
2. Incense Therapy
Wanting to relieve yourself from stress does not need to go a long way and to travel. Instead, you can purchase a pack of incense during your shopping. Lavender, chamomile, and peppermint are absolutely a number of the best scents to soothe your mind, release serotonin to the brain and stimulate it with a sense of calming peace. Studies have also found that it helps reduce heart rates and relaxes nerve muscles inducing complete relaxation. So try to sit one day with an incense in the house and just enjoy the aroma.
3. Making Green Tea
Another way to de-stress even just at home is to make traditional green tea. Japanese have been doing it for centuries and the process of making and drinking tea is a sweet, artistic, and calming ritualistic experience. All you need to do is purchase items for making traditional tea such as bowls, chasen and pure traditional tea powder. It helps release negative emotions, sharpens your focus and clears your mind.
4. Go to the Onsen
Of course you can make onsen baths at home with just your bathtub and some bath salts. But a trip to an onsen resort is worthwhile for a completely rejuvenating experience. Research says there are about 30,000 natural volcanic hot springs in Japan. And these hot spring waters have great health benefits for it is rich in minerals such as iron, sulfur, carbon, sodium chloride and radium. Even Japanese elders go for an onsen trip because it is believed that the natural hot springs can help cure certain diseases. Moreover, onsen helps relax joints and muscles, and helps in calming the mind. You would also feel connected to nature due to its ambiance at the same time meeting (and talking) to people, even strangers, which is a common thing in the onsen. Overall, it is a trip you should get whenever you feel like wanting to disconnect and relieve yourself from the daily hussle.
Conclusion
We are pretty sure that just one of these “to-do” things in the list will help you go back to the state of calm and once again feel centered to yourself. And most of us have busy lifestyles that might burn us out and make us question everything in life. But emotions come and go. We will always have a choice to stop, pick ourselves up and face life’s tribulations and every time, stronger. Don’t worry and just keep calm. There’s even a saying that says, “This, too, shall pass.”
And enjoy Japan. There’s a lot of ways to de-stress here not only in this list. Keep a positive mind and take things one at a time. No pressure!
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