4 Powerful Japanese Life Lessons for Stress & Anxiety Relief

Today’s world, that is filled with information overload, instant messages and notifications, is competitive and stressful. Studies report that anxiety disorders are creating long-term mental health issues for millions these days. One of the best ways to let go of anxieties is to remove ourselves from the situations that create these issues. However, for many of us this might not be an option as our office, school or college scenarios might be the reason for these problems. Nevertheless, we can adopt some proven techniques that can significantly help us in overcoming anxieties and in creating inner peace. Lets explore some Japanese philosophical concepts that have been helping generations of people for thousands of years in dealing with stress and anxieties.


A lot of our stress comes from trying to be perfect and also in attempting to be the best version of ourselves all the time. Whether its a social situation or a competitive environment, the constant pressure to be right or perfect is affecting the mental health of a number of people very badly.

Wabi-Sabi, a Japanese philosophical and aesthetic concept that is rooted in Zen Buddhism, celebrates the humane aspects of imperfection and impermanence, along with simplicity. Human beings are not flawless creatures. Each and everyone of us has our own positive and negative aspects. Therefore, worrying about the approval of others is a meaningless pursuit. For example, your boss himself might have his shortcomings when it comes to the way he deals with his personal relationships. Whereas you may be excellent in the same. So, by realising the truth of wabi-sabi embrace all your imperfections and be yourself unapologetically in every social situation.


Rooted in the Japanese tea ritual traditions, Ichigo Ichie means “one time, one meeting.” The fundamental essence of this teaching is simple: each moment happen only once. A lot of our stress is rooted in the constant worrying about the future and the past. If you observe keenly, you will see that the mind is either worrying about what will happen in the future or it will be replaying some instances from the past.

While being engaged in this continual push and pull, we are basically disconnecting ourselves from the most beautiful gift that we have got i.e., the present moment. Hence, realise the preciousness of the present moment. Whether it is a moment of laughter with friends or a moment at the fast-paced work environment- we won’t get back these moments ever again. Practising activities like mindfulness meditation, yoga, deep breathing or tai chi will help us significantly in grounding ourselves firmly in the present moment.


Another root cause of anxieties is the habit of comparing ourselves with others. These thoughts of comparison will lead to doubts. This is where the beautiful Japanese philosophy of Kaizen comes to our rescue. Kaizen is the mindset of embracing “continuous improvement”, where we focus on making small, incremental and daily improvements in life and work. This simple attitude shift will take off the immense pressure that that we put on ourselves in the name of competition or comparison. Direct your entire focus into the smallest step that you can take now in order to move your life forward. It can be as a simple as cleaning your room or creating a study plan for the next day.


Gaman is considered as an important virtue in Japanese culture. It is the capacity to strive through hardships or setbacks with patience, resilience and dignity. Another Zen Buddhism teaching, Gaman tells us to re-evaluate failures as opportunities for growth. So, the next time a setback comes your way, sit down and write down all the lessons that you learnt from the same. Realise the truth that human beings fail only when their heart accepts it. Otherwise each setback is a learning experience.

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