https://www.scmp.com/rss/500502/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com When clinical psychologist Michael Beckham began offering therapy and counselling to clients in Hong Kong, he noticed cultural differences in how people access and use his services. As a United States-trained and licensed clinical counsellor with almost two decades of experience, Beckham observed that the way people perceive and act on feelings is vastly different depending on their location, gender and culture. For his US clients, a serious relationship issue is the trigger for their visit in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3247266/how-loneliness-and-depression-drive-people-especially-men-seek-mental-health-support-and-differences?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3247266/how-loneliness-and-depression-drive-people-especially-men-seek-mental-health-support-and-differences?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jan 2024 09:15:15 +0000 Viaano Spruyt was in his teens when he went to a doctor’s office for help with his crippling anxiety. He was turned away. “I tried to seek help, I mustered up all my courage, but Singapore is very conservative. We don’t really talk about [mental health]. People tell you to toughen up, that everything will be fine, so I was very nervous to step out,” he says. “When I did, the doctor invalidated my experiences completely, refused me medication and refused me a referral. The reason he gave was that... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3229081/you-will-go-insane-mental-health-eye-opener-spurs-singaporean-create-online-platform-people-feeling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3229081/you-will-go-insane-mental-health-eye-opener-spurs-singaporean-create-online-platform-people-feeling?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jul 2023 10:15:08 +0000 Sound has been used for centuries to alter mood and express emotion. But can music be its own medicine? And can it be tailored to individuals to treat mental health challenges? For Hong Kong-based wellness coach and “sound alchemist” Malbert Lee, the answer to these questions is undoubtedly yes. “I was a flight attendant for almost 14 years and that working environment can be quite challenging for the human body,” Lee says. “The noise, the (lack of) humidity, the cabin pressure and the time... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3218662/sound-healing-how-music-its-own-or-psychedelics-becoming-latest-mental-health-and-wellness-trend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3218662/sound-healing-how-music-its-own-or-psychedelics-becoming-latest-mental-health-and-wellness-trend?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 29 Apr 2023 11:15:07 +0000 Coffee is among the most consumed drinks in the world, with an estimated two billion cups served up every day. That’s big business: the global coffee market was valued at US$102 billion in 2020. The health implications of drinking coffee have always been under vigorous scrutiny. The list of studies of coffee’s potential health benefits is long: its consumption has been linked to increased longevity, protection against type 2 diabetes and liver cancer, and increased energy levels, among... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3188244/three-coffee-alternatives-could-be-healthier-including?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3188244/three-coffee-alternatives-could-be-healthier-including?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Aug 2022 10:45:14 +0000 Over the past decade, many studies have highlighted the power and benefits of napping. They have shown its impact on memory, performance and balancing the body’s internal systems. Health professionals have been touting the benefits of napping for years, and in Europe and parts of Asia, napping has been embraced for decades. United States space agency Nasa promotes it as a crucial component of healthy work habits. And recently, nurses in the UK demanded a “fatigue risk management” system, which... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3182783/need-power-nap-have-cup-coffee-first-experts-say-youll?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3182783/need-power-nap-have-cup-coffee-first-experts-say-youll?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Jun 2022 08:15:18 +0000 Before he launched Ārepa, founder and CEO Angus Brown experienced two life events that influenced his future. In high school, Brown lost a close personal friend who had mental health issues. After he graduated from the Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand with a degree in commerce, accounting and finance, Brown got a job with Japanese drinks company Frucor Suntory, maker and distributor of the ‘V’ energy drink brand in New Zealand. In his first year working for the company, Brown... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3174194/why-bella-hadid-passionate-about-nootropic-drinks-liquid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3174194/why-bella-hadid-passionate-about-nootropic-drinks-liquid?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Apr 2022 09:15:17 +0000 Before becoming a certified breathwork trainer and life coach, Liza Rosen suffered from severe burnout. She abandoned her high-stress finance job and grappled with depression and anxiety for years. It wasn’t until a therapist directed her to breathwork that she realised she had been breathing wrong all that time. Now Rosen wishes someone had explained the concepts and effects of functional breathing to her early on, as “it would surely have helped me better manage my own stress and anxiety”. “I... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3159049/breathwork-can-improve-your-mental-and-physical-health?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3159049/breathwork-can-improve-your-mental-and-physical-health?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Dec 2021 09:15:14 +0000 Our appreciation for the great outdoors has blossomed during the global pandemic. And we’ve also embraced opportunities for interpersonal connection, especially during periods of lockdown and social distancing. That is why Jo Lodder signed up to join a new group in his neighbourhood on Hong Kong’s Lantau Island that planned to gather weekly to climb a mountain at dawn. “I had never done anything like this,” said Lodder. “But I loved the idea of hiking up a hill to watch the sunrise.” Lodder, the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3153261/sunrise-breathwork-meditation-and-exercise-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3153261/sunrise-breathwork-meditation-and-exercise-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Oct 2021 07:15:18 +0000 Children’s grip strength seems to be improving year over year but other measures of their fitness levels are declining, recent research shows. Throughout 2020, Grant Tomkinson, professor of education, health and behaviour at the University of North Dakota in the United States, led a research team to measure the disparities in children’s fitness levels over time using physical strength indicators. Hailing from Australia, Tomkinson completed his undergraduate degree in sport science from the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3150682/childrens-fitness-levels-have-declined-except-grip?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3150682/childrens-fitness-levels-have-declined-except-grip?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Sep 2021 20:15:18 +0000 When fitness coach and vegan nutritionist Steve Pilot first attempted a handstand, he didn’t really know what he was doing.  “I just kicked up against the wall and continued to increase frequency week after week,” Pilot said. “Everyone is on their own journey; for some of us it takes longer, as most us may not have a gymnastics or mobility background.”  Originally from Germany, Pilot began a new fitness regime 10 years ago after a bout of depression made him rethink his approach to his mental... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3136969/handstands-their-health-and-fitness-benefits-you-improved?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3136969/handstands-their-health-and-fitness-benefits-you-improved?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Jun 2021 13:45:00 +0000 When Tammy Ho Lai-ming felt the collective pains and frustrations of the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, she found solace by turning her anguish into art. “I have been writing poems that document the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests for quite some time,” says Ho. “A number of these poems have been published and I would like to think they provide an alternative record of the city’s struggles.” Ho is a talented poet and translator who was inspired by Chinese writers during this volatile... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3130746/poetry-meditation-how-writing-or-reading-it-aloud-can?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3130746/poetry-meditation-how-writing-or-reading-it-aloud-can?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Apr 2021 12:15:12 +0000 When Patrick McKeown was young, he suffered from chronic asthma. He sought relief through medications and inhalers, without ever getting a good night’s sleep. Doctors assured him and his parents that he would “grow out of it”. As he reached his 20s, and his asthma grew worse, the Irishman became interested in the breathwork teachings of the Russian Konstantin Buteyko, who developed the Buteyko method of low, light breathing through the nose. Exasperated by his poor sleep and constant feeling of... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3129311/sleep-better-and-reduce-stress-breathing-exercises-they?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3129311/sleep-better-and-reduce-stress-breathing-exercises-they?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Apr 2021 20:15:08 +0000 When domestic violence survivor Ruchi Singh was ready to change the course of her life, she knew she could not move forward without completing a daunting task – forgiving her ex-husband, the man who once told her he was going to kill her as he held a knife to her throat. “I needed to set myself free from my past to recreate a meaningful life for myself,” Singh said. “As the Dalai Lama says, ‘Holding a grudge is like drinking poison and hoping that the other person dies’ … When we don’t forgive,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3123227/how-forgive-someone-and-health-benefits-forgiveness-both?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3123227/how-forgive-someone-and-health-benefits-forgiveness-both?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Feb 2021 18:30:14 +0000 Beating cancer is no small victory, but for some survivors, depression follows in the wake of the celebration. After Melissa Yambao had surgery to treat early stage breast cancer in 2015, and started hormone therapy, she recognised the need for some fundamental lifestyle changes. She curbed her drinking and partying, began to exercise regularly, and looked for ways to usher in more calm. Despite not having had to undergo chemotherapy to treat her cancer, she experienced hair loss, and later, red... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3117888/how-breathwork-meditation-jet-fuel-helped-cancer-survivor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3117888/how-breathwork-meditation-jet-fuel-helped-cancer-survivor?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Jan 2021 09:15:19 +0000 If you find yourself reflecting on the past more often, you are not alone in feeling nostalgic. “We have never had more access to our own past than we have now,” said Canadian strategist, journalist, cultural critic and author David Berry. Like the rest of the world, Berry has found his work affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The launch of his book On Nostalgia was delayed as many printing companies stopped operating. Finally it is available in e-book and paperback editions. Canadian... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3097031/nostalgia-once-considered-disease-why-its-good-us-small?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3097031/nostalgia-once-considered-disease-why-its-good-us-small?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Aug 2020 21:15:15 +0000 Meik Wiking has built an international reputation as an expert on happiness. In troubling times such as these, he says it is natural to look back and find comfort in remembering happier moments. With economies in tatters and many people still subject to social distancing measures to stop the coronavirus’ spread, Wiking wants to boost people’s mental health by helping them create new memories that are positive, lasting and inspiring. “There are things we can do to influence what we, our friends... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3087669/how-create-happy-memories-and-not-forget-them-tips-become?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3087669/how-create-happy-memories-and-not-forget-them-tips-become?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jun 2020 11:45:10 +0000 As populations across the globe went into lockdown to hamper the spread of the coronavirus, men who did not already sport facial hair decided to put down their razors. Late in March, US comic actor Jim Carrey vowed not to shave his beard until everyone goes back to work, and he encouraged his 18.6 million Twitter fans to follow. Throughout history, beards have been a contentious style choice and scientists and scholars have long engaged in dialogue about their hygienic properties. “There are... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3080158/beards-facial-hair-and-coronavirus-what-men-need-know?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3080158/beards-facial-hair-and-coronavirus-what-men-need-know?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2020 12:00:08 +0000 After moving to New York at the tender age of 18, fashion model Shea Prueger quickly found herself caught up in that city’s drug-fuelled party scene. “I never intended to become physically and psychologically dependent on opiates – I don’t think anyone sets out for that – but it happened,” recounts Prueger. Her drug use started with cocaine, and led Prueger to acquire prescriptions for oxycodone for a series of unexplained migraines, then moved on to street opiates, and finally heroin. After... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3043415/opioid-addicts-african-psychedelic-ibogaine-last-resort?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3043415/opioid-addicts-african-psychedelic-ibogaine-last-resort?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Dec 2019 07:00:19 +0000 It may not have reached Asia yet, but you’d have had to have been living under a rock to have missed the hype surrounding cannabidiol (CBD) and its influence on skincare. Hemp-derived CBD has boosted skincare product development in the United States far beyond other markets, laying the groundwork for the exciting opportunities that lie ahead in the natural, plant-based beauty and cosmetics sector. CBD is a non-psychoactive chemical found in cannabis and hemp. CBD oils extracted from industrial... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3042992/cbd-skincare-sky-limit-hemp-extracts-use-us-beauty-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3042992/cbd-skincare-sky-limit-hemp-extracts-use-us-beauty-and?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Dec 2019 21:00:09 +0000 Over the past five years, Sian Hooper has increasingly incorporated strength training alongside high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and cardiovascular workouts to keep in shape. She was not prepared to sacrifice her achievements, even when she found out she was pregnant. “After working hard to build up a good baseline of strength over the last few years, I didn’t want to let this go,” said Hooper, who works in commercial sales at Bloomberg LP in Central, Hong Kong’s financial district. “I... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3033237/baby-board-heres-why-stand-paddleboarding-great-exercise?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3033237/baby-board-heres-why-stand-paddleboarding-great-exercise?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Oct 2019 11:30:09 +0000 Millions of people the world over are running, cycling and rowing on machines that devour electricity. Now, eco-savvy gyms are harnessing the energy their exertions generate to power the equipment. Last year, an “ecogym” opened in Rochester, New York. It uses 21 cardio machines – 16 indoor cycles, two recumbent bikes and two ellipticals – to produce human-generated electricity. As yet this sustainable fitness trend has barely begun to catch on in Asia-Pacific. According to a report by Deloitte... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3032781/sustainable-fitness-gyms-where-energy-human-exertions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3032781/sustainable-fitness-gyms-where-energy-human-exertions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Oct 2019 12:00:10 +0000 Wellness advocate Cristina McLauchlan aims to achieve sustainability in all aspects of her life, but she has seen enough of the world to understand that a waste-free society is highly improbable. “Zero waste does not exist … as much as we want to believe we can achieve zero waste, our system is not set up for that and we need to reframe how we think about it,” she says. McLauchlan has more than 20 years’ experience in the hospitality and events industries, which has exposed her to the vast... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3026286/beauty-industry-has-plastic-problem-sustainably-packaged?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3026286/beauty-industry-has-plastic-problem-sustainably-packaged?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Sep 2019 10:00:08 +0000 When it comes to dieting trends, Hong Kong can be a little late to the party. “Hong Kong is behind when it comes to fad diets, and right now it is all about keto,” says Heanney Banks, a Hong Kong-based “fitfluencer” and health coach. “You can now buy keto-focused products here, but when I was doing the keto diet [in 2016] there were none.” Keto refers to the ketogenic diet, a radical diet plan in which fat is the main source of energy. Banks grew up in Scotland, and as a child was diagnosed with... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3024044/keto-and-paleo-diets-what-they-leave-out-might-just-be?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3024044/keto-and-paleo-diets-what-they-leave-out-might-just-be?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Aug 2019 21:00:09 +0000 If you want to spend longer living at home as the years pass rather than moving to a care home, exercise professional Geoffrey Bland offers a key piece of advice: get physically active. “Taking the first step can always be stressful – particularly for senior relatives who have no prior experience of exercise or even being in a gym,” he says. “[For family members], accompanying your relative to the gym or a clinic can help ease their anxiety or stress and help them get stronger and more... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3020442/fall-prevention-how-simple-exercises-can-help-seniors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3020442/fall-prevention-how-simple-exercises-can-help-seniors?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jul 2019 12:00:09 +0000 Meeting friends in a new city is always a challenge. For Eliza Jiang and Upekha Senaweera, two young female professionals working and living in Hong Kong, a mutual passion proved two people with starkly different backgrounds can bond over some of the most basic human interests – music and dance. Chinese-Panamanian Jiang is a lawyer who grew up dancing to salsa, merengue and reggaeton in her birth city of Panama. Jiang moved to Canada to obtain her bachelor’s degree and then later New York for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3007164/how-two-music-lovers-started-class-mixing-dance-fitness?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3007164/how-two-music-lovers-started-class-mixing-dance-fitness?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Apr 2019 21:00:10 +0000 Inside a chic studio in Hong Kong, a group of young professionals wearing form-fitting outfits are shuffling along to blasting dance beats and flashing blue and red lighting. But this isn’t a bar or dance club. It’s a boxing class. Lights Out, in Causeway Bay, is a concept boxing gym that infuses a club-style decor and pulsating music with high-intensity movements. Owner Billy Tam has been in the fitness industry since 2012, first opening a Muay Thai gym in Hong Kong then moving into personal... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3005720/light-manipulation-gyms-rise-help-participants-focus?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3005720/light-manipulation-gyms-rise-help-participants-focus?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Apr 2019 13:00:05 +0000