A recent poll by Sina.com found that 26 percent of employees were "extremely anxious" about their jobs; another 35 percent said they were "worried".

In another 2008 survey, 70 percent of respondents said the financial crisis had greatly affected their mental state; another 10 percent said they felt like they were "on thorns" over the possibility of losing their jobs.

"It's no longer a question of job pressure," said Lin Qiang. "Now it's a question of survival."

The economic crisis has not led to a significant increase in white-collar workers seeking psychological counseling, according to Yu Xin, director of the Institute of Mental Health at Peking University. Between 20 and 30 percent of Yu's patients complain of job pressure, he said.

"White collar patients mainly suffer from insomnia and depression due to stress caused by the economic recession," Yu said. He advises them to get plenty of exercise, talk with colleagues, and discuss their concerns with their employers.

Also, Yu tells his patients not to blame themselves for troubles brought on by the economic crisis.

Liu Hong, a counselor at Jinghui Xinling counseling service, said she sees 30 or more patients a month; the number of stressed-out, white collar workers has increased by 10 to 30 percent, she said.

Despite the government's efforts to increase domestic consumption, frugality seems to be making a comeback.

Last June, 24-year-old Beijing press photographer Wang Hao launched a campaign on blog.soufun.com, encouraging white-collar workers to limit their weekly expenses to 100 yuan (US$14.60). About 5000 netizens responded.

"During times like Spring Festival and Valentine's Day, people my age tend to go overboard. They'll spend their entire salary and then pull out the credit card to buy things like designer clothes, electronic gadgets, and concert tickets," Wang said.

Recently, Wang's campaign has taken off. The number of respondents has jumped from 10,000 to almost 200,000 in the past three months.

"With more pressure at work and the economic crisis, more and more people are realizing that such extravagant spending is not really necessary," Wang said.

One sign of the times is the number of online sites offering to rent just about anything - from hiking equipment to designer handbags - for as little as 1 percent of the purchase price.

Renting seems to some cost-conscious consumers to be a way of having their cake and eating it too.

"Spend the least and enjoy the most," urges one rental site.

"Renting is a form of thrift," advises another.

For most middle-class workers, however, there is simply "mei banfa" - no alternative to dealing with tough economic times.

"It's a once-in-a-century crisis. I know it won't go away overnight," said Fan Xiaoqin in Chengdu.

"We just have to face it."

(China Daily March 23, 2009)