Category Archives: Stress Management

Graduation in Lilac Season: A Future Not Defined by Technology

On Mother’s Day in this sentimental month, Boston once again reaches a bittersweet moment of mixed joy and sorrow. At this tender yet bustling time, the lilacs at the Arnold Arboretum bloom as scheduled, filling the air with a familiar fragrance. Along the Charles River, students in graduation robes appear everywhere. This farewell is both a time of harvest and the beginning of a new life chapter.

Reflections on Lilac Day: A Whiff of Fragrance

Picnicking on Lilac Day at the Arboretum, one sees the lilacs blooming quietly and self-absorbed. There are no technological distractions, only families enjoying the flowers and soaking in the sun, together celebrating the greatness of mothers. For a mother with a graduate, the feelings at this moment are complex: the excitement of a child’s accomplishment and pride mixed with a touch of worry for their impending step into an AI society.

Graduation Season: Expanding a Future Beyond Technology

At Boston’s commencement ceremonies, young people are eagerly bestowed with new identities. Yet, the real world often tries to reduce them to data points and algorithmic models.

Clinical Observation: In my clinic, I see many outstanding graduates feeling despair. They fear they are no longer relevant in the age of data.

The Power of a Mother: A mother’s love is the first line of defense against this dehumanization. This connection does not rely on network signals but on that deep, quiet, and powerful emotion within the bloodline.

Advice for Mothers and Graduates

In this season of blooming lilacs, let us ground ourselves in the vitality of living in the present.

  • Cherish Memories with Family and Friends: A diploma proves academic work, but the time spent under the lilac trees represents the true meaning of life.
  • Stay in Touch with Authentic Experiences: When celebrating graduation, try putting down the phone and breaking free from the constraints of digital language. Those moments that cannot be compressed into files or uploaded to the cloud are the real strength that sustains a child moving toward the future.
  • Ground Your Faith in the Future: The charm of the lilac lies in its natural cycle of blooming and fading. A young person’s future does not need to be defined by AI. Embrace that infinite possibility, which is the core of human creativity and vitality.

Conclusion: Finding Tranquility Amidst the Storm

The lilacs will fade and the commencement will end, but the essence of quiet waters running deep will remain. May all mothers and graduates find peace in the AI era and celebrate the original human connection as a family.

The lilacs remain, the heart does not shift. Happy Graduation and a Peaceful Mother’s Day.

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What is the difference between anxiety and stress?

The differentiation between anxiety and stress is a very critical part of treatment. Stress is from environment and most people feel overwhelmed in a stressful situation, such as taking exam, getting fired, or social isolation during pandemic. However, when the severity of the anxiety or the presence of the anxiety is out -of-proportion to the situation, it is considered anxiety disorder.

Anxiety symptoms are not enemies. Instead, anxiety is functions as a survival signal. Flight-or-flight response is ingrained in our emotional brain and body to react to dangerous situation. Therefore, emotional brain often overrides the rational brain when it comes to survival. Human brains learn efficiently with a cost to misinterpret safe situations as threats. Sometimes, those irrational fear can limit a person’s ability to function.

In cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), therapists first help clients to practice to identify thoughts and feelings in a non-judgmental present way. This process help differentiating stress and anxiety. CBT offers skill set to cope with stress, such as mindfulness, deep breathing exercise, progressive muscle relaxation and many other tools. When anxiety is out-of-tune with reality, recalliberation of the feelings is important in the session. CBT for anxiety is in general exposure-based. Through the therapeutic process, clients learn how to conquer anxiety.