 Healthy teams at work lead to a greater sense of wellbeing at the workplace, and increased opportunities for connection and collaboration. Professional wellness starts with personal wellness; and personal wellness starts with self leadership.  I shared these with the staff of IHH HEALTHCARE SINGAPORE recently, during a lunchtime webinar on Wholistic Health and Wellbeing.
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 I met my younger self for coffee at 3 pm.
She was on time. I barely made it in a mad rush on #mybrompton. I wore my hair in pigtails under cycling cap and helmet. Hers was in a tight ponytail – no concerns over balding at 18. I had my cycling jersey and tights on. She wore Guess jeans and rose-tinted glasses. She flashed me the smile that I’m glad I still have. I tell her to keep smiling and laughing. The shine on her has now faded on me just a little, thankfully not too much. I want to tell her that her journey will be quite different from what she imagined then. But I don’t. She doesn’t need to hear that the youthful optimism for life she’d just declared in a romanticism laden commentary published in the local newspaper will be put to test and challenged over and over again. She just wants reassurance that I have lived up to her expectations. We leave the aroma of coffee beans and cake (which she ate and I didn’t). I walk her home because it’ll be another three decades before she learns to cycle. We won’t meet again for 35 years. But each day, she will learn that resilience is not titanium that won’t break, But rather gold that has learned to be malleable. #healthcoachonabrompton #MeetingMyYoungerSelf #poetry Original poem by Jennae Cecelia  Thanks to Mediacorp Pte Ltd for inviting me to join a panel discussion for professional women on stress management and self-care practices for improving overall well-being.
 Zoom Travel and Bec2Basics Sun Moon Lake 'Wellness on Brompton' Tour
台灣今天早上發生了25年來最嚴重的地震。希望大家都平安無事。心繫受影響的人們，尤其是花蓮地區。 #天佑台灣   This is a major leap of faith. Some of you may have received a WhatsApp message from me saying: "I am officially jobless today!" And those who know me well enough will know I am not really not doing anything or taking an early retirement.
It started with crashing off my bike this time last year. I recall having an out of body experience, and wondering if I would wake up before it all went black. Fortunately, it wasn't my time yet, and I got away with minor injuries. Since then, I have been going through a personal transformation process, built around the six pillars of lifestyle medicine: nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress resilience, social connections and avoidance of harmful substances. If I'm being given more time, I should live well and purposefully. Right? I've since transitioned back to a plant-based, whole-foods diet, shedding 8 kgs naturally in the process and lowering my blood pressure by almost 30 pts back to normal, near-normal levels. It had been hovering in the 150s zone over the past 8 years. I cycle, hike, run, practise yoga and do barre exercises, and my tribes exist around these activities. I quit drinking, and late last year, requested for a sabbatical from work to manage my stress levels and take a long, hard look at who I really am and what I really want to do. I'm deeply grateful to my colleagues at Mediacorp for being the most enlightened, understanding and supportive team I've had the privilege to work with. As Head of Comms and CSR, I had responsibilities, and there were obviously gaps when I took time off. It wasn't easy to accommodate my request but everyone, including colleagues who had to carry the load wished me well and urged me to take care of myself. This team spirit and culture is something I will miss very much. So, the big questions. Who am I? What do I really want to do. These are really about finding my "WHY". One thing that was clear to me was that I could be of service to others like myself who would like to transition to a healthier lifestyle. So I enrolled in two courses - one on nutrition planning by Harvard Medical School Executive Education, and another to train to become a certified health and wellness coach, by Duke Health. At the same time, opportunity came knocking and I am also exploring building a business in cycling apparel and accessories. I am contemplating teaching yoga again, and training to be a barre teacher. Meanwhile, being gainfully unemployed, I am also open to working on writing and/or Communications/PR/Marketing projects. Was it scary stepping out of my suit? Of course it was! But if not now, then when? The journey is ongoing, and I still do not know where I will land but I think the general direction is fine and I will go with the flow. #transformation #health #wellness #lifecoaching #healthcoaching #selfleadership |
beckalimFormer journalist and corp comms suit turned health and wellness advocate. Archives
June 2025
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