Hong Kong is a fast paced city（香港是一個節奏急速的城市）where people are constantly on the go and life can get a bit hectic（忙亂的）. I feel stressed out just from watching everybody rush off all over the place（看著旁人四處奔波已感到有壓力）, so I can only imagine how they’re feeling!

This was one of the biggest culture shocks（文化衝擊）that I experienced when I first moved back to Hong Kong. I was so used to the laid back（悠閒的）lifestyle of New Zealand and Australia（I still am actually!）that I was quite awestruck by the speed with which the people here “operate”（被這裡的人行動的速度震驚）. To this very day, I still get pushed and bumped on the street because I walk too slowly!

While being efficient is something that should be commended（效率高是值得稱讚）, we must be aware that if we don’t slow down once in a while, it can take a toll on our health（對我們的健康有負面影響）, both physically and mentally.

A lot of Hong Kong citizens seem very stressful and unhappy. These people are not hard to spot（這些人不難找）– just like what they say about a particular chain convenience store, there’s always one nearby!

There’s nothing wrong with being in a bad mood or feeling cranky（暴躁不安的）once in a while, but it becomes a problem when these feelings are kept bottled up（把情緒抑制著會成為問題）. Chronic（長期的）depression has been known to cause physical illness, and in serious cases, may literally drive you crazy.

We should also be aware of passing our negative vibes unconsciously onto those around us（無意地把我們的負面感覺傳給身邊的人）. I'm sure we've all had the experience where we've lashed out（猛烈抨擊）at someone just because we weren't having a good day. They, in turn, might end up taking it out on（出氣）the next person they see, and the vicious cycle goes on...

So it’s very important that we find an appropriate channel to vent out（發洩）all our negative emotions. Throw a tantrum（發脾氣）if you have to, just make sure it’s not at someone! Talk to a friend, or alternatively, bash a piece of chicken with a frying pan（I don’t know why I thought of that…）.

On the other hand, learn to share your happiness with others. Let people know they’re appreciated and that you care about them. A simple “How are you?” can work wonders!

Our emotional capacities seem to be devolving（退化）with the advancement of technology, making people, ironically, more disconnected than ever. Without face to face interaction（互動）, it becomes very difficult for us to decipher（破解）the emotional state of whoever we’re “talking” to…

Next time when you’re feeling happy, tell someone in person instead of sending them a smiley or updating your social network status!