How Do Vietnamese Practices Promote Happiness?

Life after high school changes in the blink of an eye. One moment, you’re getting used to Economics as a school subject, and the next, you’re applying for colleges and then jobs. Where has all the time gone?

The hustle and bustle—a term used to describe a fast-paced life where we’re constantly chasing and being chased by deadlines. In an academic and career-driven community like ours, we often overlook the joys of life and the rejuvenation that keeps us all sane. Every once in a while, it’s essential to ground ourselves existentially.

Growing up in a tropical developing country, Vietnamese youth live amidst a constant blend of modern and traditional well-being practices. It’s a reflection of our country’s cultural beauty and its embrace of globalization.

Traditional

Gifted with enriching resources of herbs and medicinal plants, Vietnamese traditional medicines effectively help improve physical health. There have been multiple studies on the popular herbal remedies that help with medicinal production based in Vietnam, as well as future research. However, more in-depth research still needs to be done regarding the local policy-making process. So, here is the top 3:

• Xa lach son: A type of basil with a “miracle” power of reducing kidney diseases, toothache and stomach aches. Usually used in soups and fish dishes, xa lach son has a rather spicy taste.
• Bitter melon: Appearing in a lot of family dinners, bitter melon is a vegetable with bumpy skin and is usually stuffed with meat and wood ear mushroom. This acquired-tasted vegetable helps control blood pressure.
• Lemongrass: A fresh-smelling herb with a lengthy appearance, this plant can help boost your immune system. Lemongrass is also used in multiple dishes to elevate the smell.

The existence of self consists of spiritual aspects as well, and happiness practices regarding embracing cultural and religious beliefs are surely underrated. Popular with its magnificent religious infrastructures, such as the Buddha statues or the big Hanoi cathedral, Vietnam’s religious well-being is continuously enhanced, making up a diverse religious culture within a nation.

Improving our faith is also a way of improving our own happiness, for our living purpose depends on our belief. We are simultaneously growing as we spark conversations with religions. Within religious well-being, make sure to meet the two aspects that make up your religious sense of self: spiritual well-being and existential well-being. In Vietnamese culture, common practices that imply the enhancement of religious well-being are celebrating traditional customs. This includes:

• Worship ancestors: whether you have achieved great labels in life, worshiping ancestors will always give you a sense of self and a sense of belonging, grounding you to Earth and away from unrealistic temptation.
• Visiting religious worshiping locations: in other words, upholding our faith in a religious setting can give us time for self-reflection that the chaotic life out there tends to drift us away from. This is the exclusive “your time.”
• Visiting family: despite the differences in beliefs amongst the religions in Vietnam, culturally, we uphold the family bond. Having the traditional belief circling family values, visiting and caring for family members, especially elders, is a way of expressing gratitude and natural affection.

Modern

In recent years, there has been a rise in tertiary sector businesses that aim to create spaces for improving health and well-being. With our increasing exposure to the internet, we spend most of our time “relaxing” on screen. In reality, screen time is rather stressful, as we are living in a virtual world with our virtual identity. What part of escape are we even making?

How about a short trip away from the bizarre life in big cities into nature, connecting with the out-of-the-world beauty of nature? Utilizing as many of Mother Nature’s resources as possible, screen-free time to yourself helps you escape from the commercial, industrial world that we are living in and blend in with the botanical origin of our own being. What about…

• Spa resorts: With the rise in demand for enhancing natural beauty, spa resorts are popping up everywhere, as close to nature and away from toxic emissions as possible.
• Staycation: Your schedule is too packed for a trip, but a break is much needed. A staycation does not need much, but a room is booked within driving distance of your work base. Even if the place is not so far out of the city, try isolating yourself from electronic devices and joining a local yoga club.
• Hiking and camping: Giving yourself a bit of a physical challenge that is not as mentally torturing as deadlines, hiking or camping in nature will give you a break from the boring daily routine. Something different with your friends, or even yourself, can be your boost pedal for a refreshing pause to your bustling life.

What color are you? This generic and childish question yet thought-provoking question is one I ask myself once every couple of weeks. This constant check-in with yourself is a way of navigating the personal sense of self in a selfless world. Taking on any artistic endeavor reminds us about the colorful world around us, slowing the schedule down a bit to lift our heads up from the laptop keyboards. Even if drawing is not your profession or talent, it is worth trying something new.

It is not hard to find a pottery workshop or a bracelet-making workshop hidden in local coffee shops in big cities in Vietnam. Not only can the arts of crafting heal a burnout being, but experiential arts can also heal it. With the motivated and passionate Vietnamese youth, we have had more creative options to enhance our happiness by reviving our inner child. You should…

• Podcasts: Sip your drink, have a cozy blanket by your side, and focus on Yeu Lanh (healing-ly loving) yourself. Listening to podcasts can distract you from your current concerns as they broaden your vision of the world to mindful conversations.
• Reading: Delving into the arts of literature and getting lost in the words of wisdom will spark some reflective conversations as well as enrich your knowledge bank. Let the love of learning be your productive break to enhance your happiness.
• Art workshops: Get crafty! Stimulating creativity and artistry out of your work-overwhelmed fingers could be very therapeutic, too!