This Global Wellness Day, let's start with the family

When it comes to mental health, Singapore is not exempt from global trends. Based on a COVID-19 Mental Wellness Report, a study of 1,058 participants conducted by the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) showed that during the pandemic, 8.7 per cent of the Singapore population surveyed met the criteria for clinical depression, while 9.4 per cent met the criteria for anxiety. There was also a show of 9.3 per cent who met the criteria for mild to severe stress.

These numbers are a gentle, sobering reminder that all of us are susceptible to the pressures of modern life and, more currently, the lingering effects of a pandemic. It’s perhaps why this Global Wellness Day 2023 (GWD), on June 10, presents a ripe opportunity to consciously (and intentionally) commit to self-care and mental well-being as essential aspects of our daily lives. 

The global movement started in 2012 in Turkey, with the core aim of raising awareness about living well year-round. In a video interview with GWD founder Belgin Aksoy, hosted by UAE GWD ambassador Francesca Canzano-Franklin, Aksoy eloquently states, “Wellness relates to how we look, how we feel, and how we relate to our surroundings. Wellness is also being in the mirror and being happy with what you’re feeling; being kind to yourself and then to others.”

“Wellness,” Aksoy adds, “is self-responsibility and not allowing others to decide — not allowing others to take the steering wheel of your life.”

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Wellness for all

Today, wellness is often seen as an individualistic pursuit of self-healing. And while wellness looks vastly different for everyone, there is one group for whom wellness feels almost like an after-thought: parents.

Parenting carries stresses unlike any other role — often in the pursuit of academic excellence and ideal nurturing. There are no off days from parenting, and seeking out close friends and relatives to babysit isn’t always an option. Take a cue from an April 2021 study, Parents Are Stressed! Patterns of Parent Stress Across COVID-19 conducted by the Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University.

The study compared the stress levels of parents pre-pandemic and over the course of the pandemic. The online survey was conducted on two separate occasions: in May and September 2020. 

Both times, parents were asked about their general and parenting-specific stress before COVID-19 as well as currently during the pandemic. The same survey was administered in September, where parents only reported on their current perceptions.

Unsurprisingly, the study showed that parenting-specific stress increased from before COVID-19 in May and continued to increase for just over half of all parents by September.

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It does take a village

Realistically, it’s near-impossible for parents to carve time out for themselves to recharge, re-energise, and reset their mental and emotional capacities. Perhaps the answer lies in not taking time apart per se, but spending time in wellness activities with young children. 

Additionally, the education of self-care can prove to be a useful bonding experience for parent and child, which in turn, can offer some peace of mind for a parent.

For instance, puppet play offers a chance for children to express themselves, exercise self-control, creativity, and relax. Similarly, at the Wellness Festival Singapore 2023 (WFS), Artcadia Studio is organising a Parent-Child Art Journaling session both parent and child can experience mindful art journaling activities to improve mental focus, encourage reflection, and foster well-being.

While parent-child relationships are foundational in a child’s life, the extended family is often roped in and relied upon as well. As the saying goes, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’, and grandparents aren’t void of the pressures of raising the little ones. 

It is also, however, critical to recognise that grandparents might compromise their own well-being for the sake of their children and grandchildren, especially if the family struggles with aspects such as finances or quality time spent together. To mitigate this, the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences of University of California recommends exercise, mental stimulation, sufficient rest, and a balanced nutrition.

Closer to home, Senior Activity Centres in Singapore offer a solution that’s easily accessible to all, with regular organised recreational and social activities and excursions. Additionally, the People’s Association (PA) Senior Citizens’ Executive Committees (SCECs) empowers the elderly to maintain independence and be active via activities such as gardening, singing, dancing, cooking, arts and crafts, and fitness.

WFS’ roster this year also includes a handful of activities for seniors, such as ENERGIZE, a series of active and wellness programmes on taiji and dance classes at the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre’s concourse. 

If granny’s got a green thumb, the floral arrangement workshop with Floral Expressions by National Gallery Singapore is a great way to keep her (maybe literally) on her toes and immersed in a fulfilling project. 

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Mum and dad's day away

It’s not uncommon advice on the importance of dating after marriage and having children. While it might be easy to brush a simple romantic sentiment aside, couple bonding can do wonders for each partner’s mental health.

A study conducted by the University of Michigan in collaboration with McGill University in Quebec found that children raised in households where parents expressed profound affection for each other experienced fewer conflicts and tended to achieve higher levels of education.

Beyond a favourable outcome on children, married couples are also deserving of time apart — not just from each other, but from the family as well. There’s often guilt or even shame pegged to wanting to leave the house for a few hours just to catch up with friends, head to the salon or spa, or simply spend time alone.

Often coined ‘parental guilt’, it’s a gnawing feeling that tears a parent between domestic responsibilities and work (or personal endeavours). That’s where self-care comes in, and it can come in many shades.

The simplest way is to reassure yourself that you’re doing your best. Create a supportive community of other parents where you can help ease doubts and provide an avenue to share and encourage each other. Alternatively, a quick trip to the spa — much like Raffles Spa — might help ease some of the physical tension.

Wellness looks very different for families with young kids; there’s minimal ‘me time’ and relaxing is difficult for a parent to fully embrace. It just means, however, that wellness might have to involve the entire family, and engaging with every member does lend to each other’s well-being.

By prioritising family wellness, bonds between generations are strengthened, and the well-being of each family member is nurtured — a reminder that true wellness begins at home.