This March, Peatix dives into the International Women’s Day theme of ‘Inspiring Inclusion’ by spotlighting communities in Japan and Singapore who through their work and mission, have been championing the inclusion of Women and lowering barriers to support resources.
In our fifth interview of the series, we speak with Glenn Woo a certified therapist trained in Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Dialectic Behavioural Therapy (DBT) and incorporates elements of Schema Therapy and Mindfulness practices in her sessions.
Q: Hello Glenn! Tell us more about yourself and the good work you do.
Hi, I’m Glenn, a certified therapist with Talk Your Heart Out (TYHO). So for the last three years, I’ve been focusing on holistic well-being through the building of self-esteem, self-identity and fostering good interpersonal relationships.
Q: Awesome Glenn, could you offer us a bit of an overview about the five key elements of self-care?
Okay, so the five elements of self-care include physical self-care So things like, making sure that you’re getting enough nutrition, well hydrated, getting enough rest, Then there’s mental self-care, like how you’re dealing with your stress or even your personal development. And then we’ve got emotional self-care, which focuses on whether you are getting your emotional needs met. Then, we’ve got spiritual self-care where it asks the bigger questions, you know, that connect you to yourself. For example, like, you know, what am I doing here on earth or what fulfills me? And the last one, social self-care, are you in a good social network and do you have a strong social identity.
Q: In the context of Singapore, for instance, are there areas or elements where self-care may be different between men and women?
Absolutely, I think, for example, for men self-care can look like, you know, their personal development involves things like career growth and what it means to be a good provider. But for women, it’s a little bit more complex. Because women are still trying to meld the traditional role of women and the modern role of women today. So, for example, traditional roles for women would be being a good caregiver, a good daughter, a good wife, but now that also includes being a working mom or being a career professional. So, combining these roles can be very complicated to navigate through for women of today, especially when dual income is so necessary for so many Singaporeans.
Q: There are so many ideas of what self-care looks like I think whenever I think about self-care, it’s always a spa day and I know that that’s a big misconception. How does one really know that they are practicing self-care that aligns best with their needs?
There could be different aspects to this. For example, physical self-care is really straightforward. You know, it’s about listening to your body. You know, if your body is not well, it’s going to tell you that you’re not taking good care of it. However, the other aspects, your emotional, spiritual, even social self-care, things like that involve women asking themselves questions like “Am I happy? Am I feeling fulfilled? Am I feeling energized by what I do? Or am I feeling drained? Am I feeling exhausted? Am I feeling burnt out?” So, answering these questions can really help women align with whether or not they’re practicing self-care well.
Q: What are some questions that women often find difficult to ask or difficult to bring up in the context of self-care and meeting their personal needs?
I think that’s interesting because I don’t think it’s the questions themselves that are difficult to ask because, you know, we ask ourselves questions all the time. And a common question women may ask themselves in self-care, would be If I’m looking for a certain need to be met, am I being selfish? However, that question in itself is not difficult to ask, but rather, I think what may be more difficult is finding a safe space to explore questions. So. I think it’s looking for this space to discuss those things, that probably is a little bit more difficult for women to find.
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Join Glenn for “Everything, Everywhere, All at Once” – Mental Wellness for the Women of Today, as part of Peatix ‘She Means Well’ Series, happening on 24 March (Sun), 11am at Huggs Coffee Maxwell. Tickets are available at https://tyho-womenselfcare.peatix.com/
