This is the first broadcast where announcer Kim Jaewon and psychiatry professor Shin Young-chul discuss stress together. Professor Shin emphasizes that contrary to the common belief that stress should be avoided or released, stress is unavoidable—what matters is how we accept and cope with it. He offers deep advice on wisely handling post-retirement anxiety, helplessness, and major life changes.

1. Stress: An Unavoidable Change in Life

Professor Shin defines stress not as 'something to avoid' but as all stimuli that disrupt 'homeostasis'—the body and mind's constant drive to maintain a steady state. Just as body temperature tries to stay at 36.5°C whether in Africa or the Arctic, our body and mind strive for constancy, but every changing internal or external stimulus becomes stress. Therefore, there is no way in the world to avoid stress itself.

"Stress itself is something we cannot avoid. What matters far more than the amount, intensity, or duration of stress is how we accept, embrace, and cope with it."

If coping methods go wrong and stress persists, it can seriously impact both body and mind.

2. The Intimate Connection Between Stress, Body, and Mind

Professor Shin explains that stress isn't just a mental issue—body and mind are closely connected and react together. Stress causes digestive problems that endoscopy may find nothing wrong with—it's not a structural problem but reduced gastric function, as brain tension affects digestion.

Anxiety and anger may seem like different emotions, but physically they manifest as the same sympathetic nervous system arousal. When tension and anxiety are high, we react easily to small stimuli—becoming irritable and angry. Many modern people exist in a constant state of tension, overreacting to minor things. Relaxing the shoulders and releasing body tension is important.

3. Post-Retirement Stress: The Importance of New Routines and Belonging

Announcer Kim shares his experience of broken routines and vague anxiety after 30 years of work. Professor Shin explains that retirement is an enormous stressor—rivaling the most stressful life event, 'death of a spouse' (scored 100 points). Retirement brings not just environmental change but disruption of daily rhythm, future anxiety, and most importantly, loss of belonging.

"The most important thing about retirement is belonging. It seems trivial, but having a sense of belonging gives psychological stability."

Professor Shin's advice:

1. Create new routines: Maintaining daily rhythm—sleeping well, eating well, being active during the day—builds the body and mind's capacity to withstand stress.
2. Build small belongings: Even without income, having a small role suited to your age and energy is important.
3. Maintain social relationships: Losing your business card shouldn't mean cutting off gatherings and relationships, which deepens isolation and can lead to depression.
4. Find your own hobbies: Activities you genuinely enjoy—writing, painting, exercise—have more positive effects than purposeful stress-relief activities.

4. The First Commandment for Coping with Stress: 'Just Live' (An Attitude of Acceptance)

Professor Shin presents "just live" as the first commandment for overcoming stress. This doesn't mean giving up helplessly—it means accepting and embracing unavoidable pain, suffering, and the futility of trying to change others.

Using marriage satisfaction surveys as an example, he explains that around their mid-50s, when couples give up trying to change their partner and simply accept them, satisfaction actually increases. This 'giving up' means 'acceptance'—and redirecting the energy spent trying to change others toward oneself paradoxically improves the relationship.

Therefore, rather than worrying about how to relieve or overcome stress, the moment we accept stress as it is, we gain the ability to manage it.

5. Praising the Past and Preparing for the Future

Professor Shin emphasizes that even for older people who might think "what's the point of building new skills now," if you can start now, time is on your side. Rather than rushing, take time to look back on your life and praise yourself.

In a productivity-oriented society, aging may seem undesirable, and comparing yourself to younger generations can bring frustration. But aging and retirement represent a change in role, not the disappearance of a role. Production isn't the only thing that's valuable—finding a role suited to your situation, age, and energy level is what matters.

Conclusion

Professor Shin says that while life is full of hardship, frustration, pain, sadness, and even trauma, whether those painful moments are allowed to overwhelm your entire life—or whether you embrace even that suffering as part of life—is ultimately your choice. Don't withhold praise and encouragement for yourself for having lived so hard, and seek out small but valuable and meaningful roles. That's the message that closes this first broadcast.