• Reading,  Wellbeing

    Ikigai & Komorebi: Finding purpose & beautiful moments

    I’ve always been fascinated by Japan and anything Japanese. Yet, I am still to visit the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’, as Japan is often called in the West. Pronounced ‘Nihon’ or ‘Nippon’ in Japanese, the name of the country actually means ‘the origin of the sun’. Fairly recently, I’ve come across two Japanese words; since they do not have an equivalent in the English language, I have introduced them both to my vocabulary: komorebi and ikigai.   Komorebi   Komorebi is a noun, which translates to ‘sunlight filtered through the trees’. Such a beautiful and poetic word, isn’t it? Last week, I wrote about some of the activities that I…

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  • Wellbeing

    Beyond traveling: Collecting beautiful moments of pleasure

    When I launched this blog a few months ago, I mentioned some of the things/activities I enjoy and that bring me pleasure. As a way to introduce myself, I wrote the following:   ‘I love traveling the world, collecting beautiful moments and living life to the full.   I am also a music lover (most genres, but especially jazz, country and indie), a film enthusiast and an avid reader (crime novels being my favorite).’   You can read the full post here.   Last week I wrote about the benefits of having pleasurable activities in our daily lives. I believe this is one of the 10 key areas of our daily lives…

  • Wellbeing

    10 tips for better mental health & wellbeing (part 2)

    In case you haven’t read my post ’10 tips for better mental health & wellbeing (part 1)’ (published on 10 October), it may be better if you read it first.   2.  3. Tips for better mental health & wellbeing   The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognizes World Mental Health Day on 10 October every year. The objective is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilize efforts in support of mental health.   As a Psychiatrist, I have taken this opportunity and started talking about mental health and wellbeing. This is not only in the context of mental (psychiatric) illness, but in a wider context applicable to…

  • Wellbeing

    10 tips for better mental health & wellbeing (part 1)

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises World Mental Health Day on 10 October every year. The objective is to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilize efforts in support of mental health. As a Psychiatrist, I would like to take this opportunity and talk about mental health and wellbeing not only in the context of mental (psychiatric) illness, but in a wider context applicable to most, if not all, of us. I have to admit here that the title of this post is perhaps a bit misleading and rather simplistic. Rather than provide 10 tips, as the title suggests, I am going to look into the…

  • Wellbeing

    Counting sheep: 7 tips for better sleep

    Sleep disturbance is one of the symptoms of jet lag, the infamous physiological condition that occurs after long-haul flights, usually when traveling east. Jet lag is caused by the de-synchronization of our body clock (or our circadian rhythm, to use the medical term). Symptoms may also include reduced concentration, irritability, headaches, problems with digestion, and fatigue. However, it is not always jet lag to blame when our sleep gets disrupted. In fact, a lot of people may find it difficult to fall asleep, have frequent awakenings and difficulty to get back to sleep, wake up early, have a restless sleep, or even sleep too much. There are many potential reasons…