Stress Relief Wisdom for Working Men and a Psychological Perspective on "Workaholics": The Defense Mechanism of Tears and the Art of Maintaining a Healthy Balance [i]

Faced with heavy pressure, some people resort to negative coping mechanisms such as indulging in fantasy, relying on drugs, and alcoholism, which cannot solve the root cause of the pressure [i]. This situation is more common among white-collar men and is called chronic fatigue syndrome [i]. Why are men more prone to physical and mental disorders due to work pressure? First, because the public's expectations of men are that they be successful in their careers, leaving them with no way out [i]. Second, because men are the recognized standard that they should bear everything as strong men, causing their distress to be suppressed [i]. Third, men often relieve stress through unhealthy methods such as smoking and drinking [i]. Fourth, from a physical perspective, men have lower tolerance than women [i]. The saying "a real man would rather bleed than cry" is a "traditional" teaching, but if you really never cry, it's best to see a doctor [i]. Crying is a human self-defense mechanism. If you don't cry when you should and keep it bottled up inside for a long time, it will accumulate and lead to pessimistic and suicidal thoughts. Reactive depression is often caused in this way [i]. Tears are the most effective "remedy" for relieving mental stress [i]. Women are less likely to suffer from infarction and stroke induced by nervous tension than men, likely for this reason[i]. Emotional tears contain a toxic biochemical substance that can cause increased blood pressure and heart rate; releasing these through tears is beneficial to the body[i]. People who suppress their emotions and do not cry for a long time are twice as likely to suffer from illnesses as those who cry frequently[i]. For example, nervous gastritis is essentially the stomach "digesting" your tense emotions; this type of illness is called psychogenic disease[i]. Crying can also help the respiratory system; medical scientists have created "crying breathing" exercises to treat asthma and bronchitis[i]. However, crying should be moderate, not exceeding 15 minutes, and only gentle sobbing is appropriate[i]. Suggestions for stress reduction for men: 1. Learn new things and update your knowledge; new environments can make numb nerves sensitive[i]. 2. Have deep emotional communication with family members, share your inner thoughts, and share some housework[i]. 3. Find a balance between imagination and reality[i]. 4. Appropriate physical exercise is very effective in relieving stress[i]. In a fast-paced and highly competitive society, workaholics are on the rise[i]. Research confirms that the formation of workaholics is closely related to childhood education, with eight or nine out of ten workaholics having received overly strict parenting[i]. Workaholics are a reaction to psychological disorders[i]. There is a fundamental difference between workaholics and work enthusiasm: the former works desperately to achieve "perfection," feels ashamed at the slightest mistake, and refuses help from others; while the latter loves their work and finds enjoyment in it, can recover from mistakes, and is good at teamwork[i]. Characteristics of Type A workaholics: enthusiastic about competition, ambitious, impatient for success, and unable to relax[i]. This type of workaholic's reaction to pressure can damage their health[i]. Characteristics of Type B workaholics: no anxiety, no imaginary rivals, the ability to turn competition into enjoyment, and good at rest[i]. Type A often forces themselves and their colleagues to be tense, and although they achieve success in their careers, they often pay the price of family discord and damaged health[i]. Type B seems unhurried, and because they can share responsibilities and focus on their goals, they can achieve even greater success[i]. Therefore, Type B individuals are healthy "workaholics" [i]. Although many books teach us to work hard, it's absolutely not about becoming slaves to work, but rather about becoming masters of our work [i].