If your body is sending signals that life in hectic Hong Kong has become more hellish than happy, it's time to slow down It's a mad, MAD world and Hong Kong takes an active part in the insanity. The pace of modern life here is both exhilarating and hectic. Maintaining a sense of balance and inner peace can be challenging when there are so many places to go, people to see and things to accomplish. The noise, traffic and pollution of big-city living combined with the strain of coping with a packed work and play schedule can lead to stress which dampens spirits, saps energy and can even cause illness. Stress itself is nothing new, and our bodies' responses have evolved to enable us to recognise danger and to escape. In situations perceived to be challenging, the body releases certain hormones, the heartbeat speeds up, blood pressure increases and breathing becomes shallow. This physical response increases energy, clarity of thought and creativity and can be very useful when a work project needs to be completed on the double or when you are trying to get the last pair of Jimmy Choo's in the summer sales. Once the stressful situation has passed, the body's functions usually return to normal. Life events such as the death of a loved one, divorce or moving can, and usually do, cause a period of acute episodic stress. Problems arise when daily life is experienced as unrelentingly stressful. Constantly rushing around, never saying no to extra tasks, worrying about things over which you have no control and general feelings of irritability are indicators that stress has become a chronic rather than an acute part of daily life. Existing in crisis-management mode conditions the body to function at the elevated levels required by the stress response. But this state of overdrive disturbs the ideal mind/body balance and taxes overall physiological operation, resulting in a compromised immune system and a range of mental and physical complaints (see page 24). A weakened immune system means more colds, flu and other nasty bugs to contend with. Studies have shown that chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, thyroid disorders and diabetes are all exacerbated by stress. Stress makes itself visible on the outside too, affecting weight, promoting tooth and gum disease and causing skin eruptions and hair loss. The physical complaints can be accompanied by depression, anxiety and sadness. While stress has become an aspect of modern life and is sometimes unavoidable, there are many methods of dealing with it (see page 24). Listen to warning signals from your body that life has become more hectic than happy, and make changes. Establish your own limits at work and at play, and do not push yourself past them. Be kind to your body. Exercise, eat well, sleep soundly, cut down on caffeine, do not smoke and go lightly on the alcohol. Relax. Try aromatherapy, have a massage, go for a walk. Finally, accept that it is more fun to do things over time rather than all at once.