The people of Hong Kong have been shocked by the economic downturn. How are they coping with all that stress? CNN's Eunice Yoon reports.
Transcript
Even in the best of times, Hong Kong is seen as one of the world's
most stressed out cities. But the global economic downturn has raised
pressure levels.
As Hong Kong citizens worry about their jobs and life savings report, Eunice Yoon, finds out what's being done to help people de-stress.
"Free hug!"
When you're feeling down it's good to find comfort in a friend or perhaps even a stranger. This group in hong kong is giving out hugs to help people in this financial capital feel better during the global economic crisis.
"People need care and love."
Hong Kong is already a stressed-out, fast-paced city. But now this place, like New York and London, is grappling with a worldwide credit crunch and its economy is in a technical recession. "People are getting to a point of feeling quite anxious."
The biggest source of their anxiety? Job security.
"People are having difficulty falling asleep. They may find themselves even at work they are unable to concentrate. They will talk about within the company there is tension and they will fear the other departments and the other team may come in and steal their clients and they will react with either fear or at other times hostility."
Emotions aren't only running high in the office. In Hong Kong, hundreds took to the streets after losing a chunk of their savings in bonds from the now bankrupt U.S. investment firm Lehman Brothers.
Social services organizations like Caritas are reaching out to those suffering. The group recently set up a government-funded counselling hotline and, in the first month, received over a thousand calls.
"They call because they don't know what do next after losing their savings. They find it really difficult to accept such a harsh reality and change their way of living."
So what are the best ways to manage stress in these uncertain times? Exercise, lay off the alcohol, get some rest, and try not to play mind games with yourself.
"The worst thing that causes people to be stressful is that they would try to guess, guess the situation, looking at the supervisor having a meeting with a couple of people and think oh my god is this the one delivering the bad news? Important is to slow down."
As Hong Kong citizens worry about their jobs and life savings report, Eunice Yoon, finds out what's being done to help people de-stress.
"Free hug!"
When you're feeling down it's good to find comfort in a friend or perhaps even a stranger. This group in hong kong is giving out hugs to help people in this financial capital feel better during the global economic crisis.
"People need care and love."
Hong Kong is already a stressed-out, fast-paced city. But now this place, like New York and London, is grappling with a worldwide credit crunch and its economy is in a technical recession. "People are getting to a point of feeling quite anxious."
The biggest source of their anxiety? Job security.
"People are having difficulty falling asleep. They may find themselves even at work they are unable to concentrate. They will talk about within the company there is tension and they will fear the other departments and the other team may come in and steal their clients and they will react with either fear or at other times hostility."
Emotions aren't only running high in the office. In Hong Kong, hundreds took to the streets after losing a chunk of their savings in bonds from the now bankrupt U.S. investment firm Lehman Brothers.
Social services organizations like Caritas are reaching out to those suffering. The group recently set up a government-funded counselling hotline and, in the first month, received over a thousand calls.
"They call because they don't know what do next after losing their savings. They find it really difficult to accept such a harsh reality and change their way of living."
So what are the best ways to manage stress in these uncertain times? Exercise, lay off the alcohol, get some rest, and try not to play mind games with yourself.
"The worst thing that causes people to be stressful is that they would try to guess, guess the situation, looking at the supervisor having a meeting with a couple of people and think oh my god is this the one delivering the bad news? Important is to slow down."
And, spend time with family or maybe some new found friends even if that, too, might give you a little stress.
Eunice Yoon, reporting from Hong Kong.
Eunice Yoon, reporting from Hong Kong.
