Dissecting the Root of All Illness: 'Stress' (Part 1) — The Factor of 'Idleness' Beyond Just Being Busy

While sharing advice like 'use this health regimen for such-and-such ailment,' there is something that Kampo pharmacists have begun to realize. It is the fact that 'stress' is a factor in every kind of physical ailment. And the stress that creates this is not limited to busyness or human relationships.

What a Kampo writer has begun to realize

I currently work in disseminating information related to Kampo. Every day, I share health regimens for various ailments, such as 'this pressure point for headaches' or 'these ingredients for digestive fatigue.'

However, while continuing to share such information, there is a truth I have begun to realize myself. It is that no matter what symptoms or ailments you trace back, 'stress' is almost always lurking as a fundamental factor. No matter how much you pay attention to your diet and get enough sleep, in the face of intense stress, health regimens can be blown away quite easily. (In the first place, in the face of intense stress, can one even manage diet and sleep...)

The invisible root of all illness that stops the circulation of Qi and blood

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is believed that stress stagnates the circulation of 'Qi (energy)' within the body. This is called 'Qi stagnation.'

Qi plays a role like an engine that carries blood and moisture throughout the body. Therefore, if Qi stagnates due to stress, the circulation of blood also worsens in tandem (blood stasis), leading to all sorts of ailments and illnesses such as stiff shoulders, headaches, cold sensitivity, and menstrual pain. Indeed, stress is the invisible root of all illness.

There is also the stress of 'having too much time'

The 'stress' that many people imagine here is likely the pressure of work or troublesome human relationships. Certainly, those are major factors that cause Qi to stagnate.

However, even if you are not working and do not have enough social interaction to worry about relationships, people still feel stress. 'Having too much time' is actually a very troublesome source of stress. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is a term called 'excessive rumination.' When people have too much spare time, they inevitably end up regretting the past or worrying about a future that has not yet happened, thinking too much about unnecessary things. This 'overthinking' severely depletes the digestive system (spleen) and brings the circulation of Qi to a complete halt.

The ultimate health regimen of knowing your own 'tolerance'

Whether too busy or too idle, people feel stress and become unwell. In the end, what becomes a stressor differs completely depending on the person's innate personality and capacity (tolerance).

Just as there is no Kampo medicine that works for everyone, there is no stress relief method that applies to everyone. 'Do I fall apart when I am too busy?' or 'Do I think too much and get depressed when I am too idle?' Calmly grasping your own mental tolerance and habits, and maintaining that 'just right balance' in the middle—I believe that is the most difficult and most effective ultimate health regimen.