Category: Blog

7ways_image
Blog

7 WAYS TO ENJOY AND THRIVE IN 2020

How to navigate through changes and coming out on top of them seems to be the focus of this year ever since we entered year 2020.  Everything we have built up in our life, at work and ways we carried out our social routines is in question, meet with detours and being recalibrated.    
And, where there is a will, there is a way!  Here are 7 ways that will help you keep enjoying the things you do before and continue to shine through the year 2020! 

1. Cheers, drink and read

With the smaller circle we are involving ourselves in these days, we should  cherish the quality time we give and get when we are hanging out in a smaller circle now that the conversation carries further and deeper.  And, with online ordering, it has never been easier to have your drinks/ food delivered to you at the doorstep. Or, when at home, find a quiet spot, immerse yourself in a good read and reclaim the calmingness. 

2. Glow through Sweat

Workouts keep you focused, active and calm. Keep doing the workout you like to do, don’t give up just because life throws you some lemos! Instead, be creative and find new ways of continuing your workout routines. 

3. Knowledge is Power

This is the time we step up, to become the best of ourselves! See the disruption as the chance to pick up a new skill, learn a new subject or a different job that you always thought about it but have never got the time for in the past. You can do that at the comfort of your own space, and best yet, invite a friend to do it with you.

4. New Mindset, New Future

We acknowledge the challenges at hand, we adapt and seek support when needed. With online, the tools to manage your stress are easily accessible from following a meditation clip on youtube to booking a session with. 

5. A new twist on travelling 

Don’t completely kill off your wanderlust genes because of the change, instead understand the situation, be aware of the new travel rules and plan around it. Focus can be shifted to exploring the local, planning a close ranged road trip with a smaller circle of friends and revisiting some of the places you have been long ago and probably forgotten.

 

6. Step outside for a breath of fresh air

Mind jotting down the things you would like to enjoy both for outdoor and indoor. For example, BBQ, camping, water sports etc, and games like “exit”, used to be an indoor event, can be played outside as scavenger hunt. Even afternoon tea parties can become afternoon tea picnics outside in parks. Indoor events can also be safe if you take precautions. Where there’s a will there’s a way!

7. Daily gratification practice 

“Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.” by Wayne W. Dyer.

What we focus on affects our emotions and actions. Thus, practicing naming one thing a day that you are grateful for will help to be your anchor in the midst of uncertainty. 

 

Blog

Camping – Natural Therapy

Increase in urbanization, we have been living far from nature, we often become fixated in our daily routines. Slowly we got sucked into our own little bubbles, running on a hamster wheel with no ends. Our body is not mechanical, it is organic, and with living constantly under stress, it is bound to give out one day. A research article on the correlation of urbanization, rumination and mental illness by Gregory N. Bratman, J. Paul Hamilton, Kevin S. Hahn, Gretchen C. Daily, and James J. Gross from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America has clearly indicated “how one links to the other and equal to anxiety and depression.” Also, as simple as having a 90 minutes walk through a natural environment has a significant effect on one’s mental wellbeing compared to that of the person walking through an urban environment.

Here at Vancouver B.C, we are blessed with many provincial parks, campsites and trails, let’s take the opportunity and enjoy a free mental health therapy provided by nature.

It is also the time to release that inner child of yours. Since when have you forgotten to laugh out loud, run around freely in the forest, get mud onto your shirt and face. Let’s get the FUN back into your life! Do the same for your children, give them back the childhood they deserve. Through outdoor activities, they will gain leadership skills, problem solving and become independent. These are some of the best life skills you can pass on to your children! There are all kinds of different camps or retreats you can let them go and enjoy during their school breaks, refresh their minds, and give them a chance to be curious and creative!

Kenya (5)
Blog

Oversea Leadership Trip

One of my most memorable overseas leadership trips was in the year 2018 when I went to Kenya  with a group of my 10 close friends. The African cultures and arts have always been a mystery to me, though I will go on a visit to one of the countries, Kenya, to experience it’s beauty in person! Instead of visiting only the touristy sites, we went straight to where the Maasai community is. We spent 9 days there visiting local schools, farms, markets, and with locals listening to their life stories. Although their life is simple and don’t have much like we do back home, a beautiful furnished place, a car, clothes, bags and tech toys , they are extremely resilient and happy.

Seeing them has made me realize how much I have owned, and yet I am always on the hunt for the next better things, newer version of a cell phone, better car, more expensive personal items etc. It is an awakening call for me to do a total deep self-reflection on questions of  “who I am” and “how I would like to continue living in this world”. Moreover, Days without wifi and social media has helped all of us to get re-connected with ourselves and each other. Those times were the best time ever spent, we talked, joked, sang and swapped life stories. In addition, we learned from our Maasai Mara warriors how they have earned their title and weapons in defending their family and cattles during a fight with a lion. Seriously, how many of us have ever got the chance to fight with a lion with only a spear and a rungu! 

Another highlight of the trip is the visit to the Shafari, seeing all those animals roaming the earth so calmly. All of us were completely in awe with their presence. And, the most amazing thing is when you look at them, they look straight into your eyes, into your soul. These animals sure are different then the ones you see in a zoo or aquarium! After dinner, we were all sharing our thoughts on how we have never felt so connected to nature and other beings which we have lost living in human built cities. And, many of us had tears in our eyes when we saw those beautiful creatures roaming freely while realizing there are still so many animal parts being sold on the market for decoration and status praising purposes. This is truly a transformational trip that has changed my perspectives on life and actions in my daily habit for a better self and a better world! 
By May Yao

EN_CA