Why the Philippines is a ‘least stressful’ environment

In Hong Kong over the long weekend, I took the pleasant one-hour ferry ride to Shekou, an idyllic seaport that is reminiscent of Hong Kong of long ago. The serenity of the trip over calm waters and under a full moon was broken by the stampede of the passengers rushing out of the boat for immigration. Although I was not in any particular hurry, I found my state of mind shift within seconds, to become as stressed and determined to be first in line. How could I have been so affected by the anxiety of the crowd? It is no wonder that stress is said to be the most contagious phenomena of modern society today.

Standing in line and seeing others looking very calm, I concluded that stress is actually a very personal experience. Whether we allow a situation to become stressful or not is a personal choice, depending on how we understand and accept our respective needs and expectations, and our capability to attain them. What makes this selective process complex in our modern-day society is that so much of our perceived needs are influenced by forces outside of ourselves. If, on the other hand, we were able to still our minds, watch life as witnesses and want nothing, we would be willing to accept whatever outcome, and be able to live happy lives. Easier said than done.

I was therefore fascinated by an article in the International Herald Tribune that reported the results of a recent survey on stress levels in Asian countries. It ranked the Philippines as one of the least stressful. The Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Inc. polled more than 1,000 expatriates in June and July of this year; on a scale of one to 10 with 10 being the most stressful living conditions. Indonesia (7.33), South Korea (6.67) and Vietnam (6.50) rated as high-pressure countries, followed by China and India (6.25), which tied in fourth place, followed by Taiwan (6.00), Hong Kong (5.30), and Singapore (5.00). The survey pointed out that money did not necessarily "buy peace of mind" since wealthier economies ranked in the middle of the group. Factors that contributed to stress were related to "quite violent conditions, corruption and red tape" in the case of Indonesia, and with "frustrations... with bureaucracy, language and cultural barriers," in the case of China. In Hong Kong, cynicism over its leadership, and concern over loss of jobs contributed to stress.

The least stressful environments were Thailand (4.73), the Philippines and Malaysia (4.5), which tied for second best, and Japan (4.00). Notwithstanding Thailand’s economic difficulties, "the absence of extremism and the willingness to compromise among Thais" contribute to making living conditions for expatriates comfortable. Malaysia as one of "the least confrontational societies in Asia" with its multiracial mix, forcing "people to practice toleration and develop good inter-personal skills." The Philippines despite security and political disturbances "makes the most out of a bad situation." "One of the most amazing things about the Philippines is the almost indefatigable optimism of its people."

Does this mean that we are just really happy people or that the level of our needs and aspirations as a people is very low? Does our sense of humor and ability to laugh at ourselves in all instances create a very forgiving environment that can accommodate degrees of failure that would otherwise be unacceptable. The danger of this is that allowances of this nature also cause complacency and inefficiency. Being late in the Philippines may be socially acceptable, but in Japan, we would have missed the train.

In this sense, there is neither good nor bad stress, just the process to absorb or reject it.

Perhaps the most practical approach is to manage stress to our advantage. We must continue to be a people with a heartfelt love for life and a spiritual dimension that guides us but should absorb just enough stress to push ourselves to become more disciplined, practical, aggressive, responsible, and efficient. In this way, we can aim to be effective and purposeful without becoming ruled by it.

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