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Chapter 22 / Complete chapter

Science-Backed Relaxation

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Chapter 22 editorial cartoon: A night out shouldn't be a mystery-price box. Enlarge illustration
A night out shouldn't be a mystery-price box.

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Editorial cartoon · Chapter 22A night out shouldn't be a mystery-price box.

Original illustration with Chinese lettering; the English dialogue is below. Humour is a reading aid, not evidence.

English dialogue
  • Play first. Pay later.
  • The price list first, please.

Price lists must be displayed before ordering; entertainment venues cannot charge “after the fact”

By law, entertainment venues must display clear prices for all services and goods and proactively hand over a price list to customers. Most cases of “…

Cost
No cost at all. You simply need to request a price list. The tricky part is asking for it …
Benefit
The regulation states: “Entertainment venues offering services or selling goods must displ…

If someone offers you “stuff” at a venue, leave immediately — harboring and providing both count as aiding friends

It is strictly illegal for entertainment venues to sell or provide drugs, or to allow anyone to use drugs on site. Violators face 3–6 months of suspen…

Cost
No cost at all. Just stand up and walk away. The hard part is having to leave in front of …
Benefit
Regulations explicitly forbid entertainment venues from selling, providing, or facilitatin…

Don’t accept candy or snacks from strangers, don’t drink beverages left unattended, and don’t take e‑cigarette cartridges handed to you by others

Today’s illicit drugs no longer look like typical drugs. “High‑inducing” e‑cigarettes laced with synthetic cannabinoids can be tinted and flavored to …

Cost
No cost at all. Never accept anything offered by others. If your own cup has been out of s…
Benefit
Since July 1, 2021, synthetic cannabinoids have been regulated as a whole class of control…

Avoid scripted-murder-mystery (Scripted Kill, "jubensha") and escape rooms located in residential buildings or below the first basement level

A 2022 notice jointly issued by five government departments clearly states that script-entertainment venues (script entertainment, "juben yule") must …

Cost
No cost involved. Just ask for the building floor number before booking.
Benefit
The same 2022 notice from five departments lays out very specific requirements: script-ent…

Going for a brisk walk or a jog when feeling down: the effect size of exercise on depression is proportional to its intensity

This study pooled data from 218 randomized trials involving over 14,000 adults with major depressive disorder. The biggest improvements were seen with…

Cost
Free. Each session takes about half an hour. The hard part is that when you’re in a bad mo…
Benefit
This result comes from combining data across 218 randomized controlled trials split into t…

When anxiety interferes with daily life, mindfulness‑based stress reduction works just as well as common anti‑anxiety drugs

276 adults diagnosed with anxiety disorder were randomly split into two groups. One group attended an eight‑week mindfulness‑based stress reduction co…

Cost
Taking a course costs a bit of money. The program lasts eight weeks, with one class per we…
Benefit
This was a non‑inferiority randomized controlled trial conducted at three academic medical…

Treat “regular social contact” as a health expense — don’t wait until you’re feeling down to reach out

Long-term epidemiological research tracking over 3 million people for an average of 7 years demonstrates the vital role of social connection. Those ex…

Cost
It requires some money and time to arrange meetups. The hard part is making the effort to …
Benefit
As noted, this is a meta-analysis of 70 studies with 3.4 million participants observed ove…

Do not use hot springs, saunas, or hot baths after drinking alcohol

In Finland, half of all sauna-related deaths involve alcohol consumption. In Tokyo, post-mortem forensic records show about one-quarter of bath-relate…

Cost
Free. Saves money by postponing spa or hot bath visits to a sober day; take a quick lukewa…
Benefit
Forensic analyses in Finland examining all sauna-related deaths from 1990 to 2002 using po…

Wear certified sports helmets when skiing, snowboarding, rollerblading, or cycling

Wearing a helmet while skiing or snowboarding reduces the risk of head injury by roughly one-third (and by nearly 60% in children under 13). When cycl…

Cost
A certified helmet costs a few tens of dollars; taking 5 seconds to buckle it on before ea…
Benefit
A meta-analysis of 12 studies on skiing and snowboarding injuries found that helmet use wa…