Several times we are overloaded with school, work and other life issues. It puts us in a terrible state where even breathing seems to be taking up few calories. In this case, sometimes, the problem is not the activities and responsibilities you have. It’s how you deal with them. We can’t run the world all the time—we need to relax!!!

An experiment was conducted by researchers who secretly timed how fast thousands of pedestrians walked in city centers across the globe, including London, Madrid, Singapore and New York. Granted, this is not the most scientific experiment, but it is fascinating nevertheless.

One of the researchers Prof. Richard Wiseman said, «This simple measurement provides a significant insight into the physical and social health of a city.» Where do the fastest walkers live? In order of speed, they are found in Singapore (Singapore), Copenhagen (Denmark), Madrid (Spain), Guangzhou (China) and Dublin (Ireland).

According to this study, we live about 10% faster now than we did twenty years ago, when a similar experiment was conducted. The biggest changes are found in and around Asia, where the pace of life in Guangzhou (China) increased by over 20% and where Singapore showed a 30% increase.

A common global expression is, «Chill.» Are you anxious and uptight? Chill or relax. Need to de-stress? Just take it easy and chill.

Chilling is pretty good advice, actually. Especially if the word «chill» is spelled this way:

C - Calm down. When you’re anxious, frenzied or pressed, take a deep breath and ask yourself, «Why?» H - Hold back. Set a reasonable pace. Life is a marathon, not a sprint. If you want to last, pace yourself and take time to rest. I - Indulge your desire for fun. Do something fun everyday and try to put fun in your usual activities. L - Learn how to just be. You already know how to DO. Take time to BE. Don’t measure your life by what you accomplish, but by who you are. Be present. Be attentive. Just be. L - Let it go. You are not responsible for everything and everybody. In the immortal words of poet Robert Browning, «God is in His Heaven; all is right with the world.» You don’t have to do it all yourself; you don’t have to do it all right now. And some of it you may not have to do at all.

You may feel like you’re wrestling with the world. Or maybe you just feel as if you’re living too fast. But if you need some relief, «chill» is a good word to remember. Spell it right and you might just get something you don’t expect. Happiness!

"People actually need more relief now than ever before. We are living more stressful, faster-paced lives than ever,” Psychologist Richard Wiseman.