15 ways to cope with a bad Shanghai day- 大数跨境

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15 ways to cope with a bad Shanghai day

TimeOutShanghai

2015-10-28

导读：None of which involve getting any blood on your face whatsoever

Around Town

You wake up with a fright. You stub your toe on the bed on the way out of your bedroom. You forget your wallet and have to go back to get it. You nearly get run over by a bus. On days like this the imagination runs riot thinking of a thousand ways to horrifically maul that bus driver in such gruesome and voluminous detail that it would cause even George Romero to worry for the state of your mental health. For some people the anger might even bubble over into a street-side slanging match.

But for what? A brief moment of catharsis that, when the red mist lifts, leaves us feeling more than a little embarrassed. This is life in a city of 24 million people; often fun, endlessly stimulating, sometimes totally and utterly infuriating.

When you feel this way, it's important to remind yourself exactly why you love the city you live in so much. Being the clever person you are, you wisely chose to come to Shanghai. As luck might have it then, when you're in a spot of Bruce Banner-esque rage and need to calm down quick, you are completely spoiled for options to help you escape the madness. And, let's be honest, green really isn't your colour anyway, darling.

Here is your guide to dealing with a bad Shanghai day, and fending off the William Foster within.

Breathe

Seriously: BREATHE. Inhale deeply, exhale slowly and allow yourself to cool down. That person who just cut you up? They probably didn't mean anything by it, and even if they did, what's to be achieved by getting angry about it and causing a scene? Nobody wants to see that. And besides, do you really want to be that guy? You can't fight ass-hattery by being an ass-hat; FACT. Nope, better to show the world what you're made of and just zen the shit out of the situation, preferably radiating a brilliant light to a chorus of angels while you float off into the sunset.

Have a massage

We've lost count of the amount of times we've heard people say that one of their favourite things about Shanghai is the sheer range of amazing massage places to chose from. One spa that never fails to impress with its peaceful surroundings and skilled masseurs is Subconscious Day Spa. Those on a budget needn't worry either, our roundup on the best massages in Shanghai under 100RMB has you covered (see our website). And, relax...

Go boxing

If the desire to cause someone pain hasn't left you, then you could do a lot worse than donning a pair of gloves and smacking seven shades of crap out of a punch bag. If you're looking to take your workout to the next level, then print out a picture of your boss and pin it to the bag: job DONE. Not only is boxing a great way to let all your frustrations out, it's also an incredibly intense form of exercise. The hit of endorphins combined with the feeling of release, is bound to have you ready to take on the world again. Get down to one of Shanghai's great boxing gyms and get your fix (visit our website for the list).

Meditate

For those not of a violent disposition (that's most of you, right?!), you'll probably want to find a more relaxing way to unwind. How about sitting in a room doing absolutely f-all for an hour? Perfect you say? Then wrap your eyes around our collection of some of Shanghai's best meditation classes (visit our website).

Whether you fancy shrieking like a mad person in a room full of strangers, doing yoga at the same time as meditating, or you just enjoy thinking hard - like, really hard - about, y'know, stuff, there's something to suit all tastes. Who knows, you might even find yourself? Although, how anyone can be so sloppy as to lose track of where they left their own being in the first place is beyond us.

Find some green

There's nothing quite like the restorative power of green (no, not that kind) to put pay to a bad mood. Shanghai boasts many beautiful and expansive parks - often only a subway ride away. Give yourself a day at the huge Chenshan Gardens in Songjiang, or visit Shanghai Botanical Garden to satiate the horticulturalist within. Alternatively, why not visit one of Shanghai's vast forest parks? Talk about spoiled for choice.

Get warm

Something about the winter makes us irritable. Probably it's just that dealing with the crazy streets of Shanghai, and feeling like a polar bear's frozen nipples at the same time (do polar bears even have nipples?!), isn't a recipe for inner tranquility and equanimity in the face of adversity. But, just like dominos, if you tackle one of these issues, the other may quickly follow.

Earlier in the year, under the auspices of public service, we traipsed around Shanghai trying out the best warming treatments the city has to offer (visit our website). There's everything from hot stones to saunas, and quite apart from defrosting your body, the surroundings are so relaxing they might even defrost your ice cold heart, too. Aww...

Read a book

'Read a book?!' We hear you cry: 'But we can do that at home!' Indeed you can, and if you find it helps, then why not? But, if there's one thing better than reading a book at home, it's reading a book in a charming cafe that's nestled on a peaceful street in the Former French Concession, and that has its own library of books for you to pick up and peruse. Add in to the equation a supply of liquid black crack, and you have no reason not to visit the Old China Hand Reading Room on Shaoxing Lu. If you're worried about the quality of books available then you can rest easy; the place is run by historian Tess Johnston and photographer Deke Erh. Literally, no reason not to go.

Eat xiaolongbao

Okay, you're having a bad day, and everything about Shanghai seems to totally suck. Luckily, it only seems that way. There are plenty of great things about this city, and all you need to do is remind yourself of what makes Shanghai so good in the first place. Where better to start than with food? Something which this city (and country) excels at.

When it comes to Shanghai, probably the most ubiquitous and delicious choice is soup dumplings, or xiaolongbao. Offering a winning combination of satisfying dough, delicious meat, and salty soup in one small, perfectly-formed package, it's easy to see why xiaolongbao are loved the city over. Read our website to see the city's best, then go out and get your fix - you've earned it.

Escape somewhere quiet... in the city

No, we haven't gone absolutely mental; there really are places in Shanghai where you can go to escape the crowds (see our website), and the madness. If shutting yourself in a tank of water and floating in silence for an hour isn't your bag, then you can escape to a rooftop, or even a historic library. Ssshh!

Escape somewhere quiet... outside of the city

The surrounding areas of Shanghai are not blessed with as much travel fodder as say Sichuan, or Yunnan, but there's still plenty to get your teeth into. Like Moganshan but don't have a big budget? Then try it on the cheap with help from our guide. If that's not for you, then take a trip to Wuyuan, completely avoiding the crowds as you do.

If your budget is a little bigger, then the serene Fuchun Kosa resort could be exactly what you need. Even further afield you're spoilt for choice; there's Burma, Indonesia, the Philippines - need we go on? If you need even more inspiration then head straight for our travel page on our website.

Walk around the Former French Concession

All the different areas of Shanghai are unique in their own ways, but few areas can match the tree-lined beauty of the historical FFC. There are so many options for things to do in this area to help you reconnect with your love of Shanghai. Why not start by taking a walking tour of the area? You could also visit Fuxing Park - a hub of so much life and activity that it's bound to put a smile on your face.

What else? Oh yeah; there are literally hundreds of cafes, HUNDREDS. All of this is not even mentioning the abundant eating and drinking venues in the area, but do we have to do everything for you? I suppose we may as well. See our guide to the FFC on our website. You're welcome.

Go berserk at Cages

Still got a lot of anger to take out? Okay, that's understandable; not everyone finds that peace and quiet does the job. If you're one of those people, then allow us to introduce you to Cages: in which you stand in a cage and take all the day's/week's/year's stresses out on poor, unsuspecting baseballs.

For the Americans among us, and those who have been before, it's an obvious choice - there's nothing quite like the feeling of connecting bat to ball to release all that negative energy that's been building up. Once you're done you don't need to go anywhere either - just head on over to the bar and sink a drink or two, and you'll be back to your normal self in no time. See the address details on our website.

Head for open space

If claustrophobia's a problem and you don't want to head too far out of downtown, then your best bet is to head for Xuhui Riverside. Bordering a wide part of the Huangpu, it's blessed with an openness that's difficult to find elsewhere. Not only that, but there's plenty to do there; including rock climbing, skateboarding and running, for the active among us.

If you're after a more sedate experience, you can simply take a snail's pace saunter along the waterfront, or make the most of the area's increasing profile and development by visiting one of the three museums in the area: Yuz Museum, Long Museum and SCoP.

Get on your bike

Though you might be skeptical about the benefits of heading out on the roads in this mad place, there's a lot to be said for getting on your bike and doing some exercise while feeling the wind caress your weary flesh. It's fun, helps you blow off steam, and is a superb way to get to many of the options we've mentioned above.

We've collected together six cycling routes online that take in peaceful riverside jaunts, art, history and even marshes. On your marks, get set, PEDAL!

Leave

It might not be nice to think about, but not many of us are going to stay in the same place forever. If you're consistently feeling angry and frustrated here, then perhaps you've come to the end of your patience with Shanghai, and it's time for your next adventure. But hold on a second: moving is a huge, time-consuming and frequently infuriating endeavour, it's best to be 100 percent sure about it.

Often job, housing or relationship circumstances cloud our judgment, and cause us to blame other things, like Shanghai. Poor old Shanghai. These kinds of troubles will often follow us around wherever we go. For some people however, there will come a time when leaving Shanghai is the right thing to do.

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