Crushing stress with Candy Crush

“Don’t get this game,” my sister warned me, “it will ruin your life.” Well, my life wasn’t ruined like 13-year Lucas Chan, who spent $4300 on the notorious Candy Crush game in one marathon session.

It’s one of the healthy outlets for me to distract myself, come down from stress and chaos, from screaming kids, messy kitchen, homework projects, piles of laundry.

But in order to allow myself to escape into this virtual reality, I need to trust/control myself that I won’t spend too much time and money, and I’ll use this a break, not an escape. As a doctor of Natural Health, specializing in the mind-body connection, I know that there’s a root cause for this need to escape. So I have to know my reasons: What am I escaping from? When I feel overwhelming anxiety, I know I need a break, and if I go for a run or cuddle with my cat and play Candy Crush, I’ll come back with a different perspective on my family. But in order to know how to not let a break become a great escape, I need to be aware of the core emotion that driving me. So I ask:

Is there too much going on and I feel powerless and out of control?

These breaks can be opportunities to:

Shift gears from overwhelm to being at ease.

Remind myself that I am a mature, smart, resourceful adult who can handle my

family.

Know that I don’t have to do everything right now, that I can choose to take a break and do things because I want to, not because I have to.

So go ahead, indulge in your favorite game, whether it’s Candy Crush or list others because some distractions are actually appropriate. And you can demonstrate to your family a healthy, appropriate ways to deal with stress or overwhelm. All from playing Candy Crush. Who knew?

How to deal with stress and pressure without chemicals and what parents can do if they see signs their students are stressed or under pressure.

The underlying problem needs to be addressed: Why is there a large number of young adults who turn to chemicals to manage life? There are two factors at play that push kids over the edge. External: they feel enormous pressure to perform to meet parental and societal expectations (rather than being self-expressed freely). And Internal: they lack the character to do so (they don’t feel capable and confident).

Empowering parenting is the key.

Offer general statements like:

You don’t need to do any of these tasks if it feels too much for you

You are the only one who knows what’s right for you and you are the one who is choosing

The answer exists before the problem

I trust you; you are amazing, capable and smart

You always trying your best, and I see you succeeding

When you think of something you want and believe it is possible, it will come to you

Adaptation of this mind-set will prevent kids from turning to chemicals. They will feel self-assured, capable and excited to embrace life, not to numb it, block it, and escape from it.