Garage Blog

Your 4-Step Wellbeing Toolkit

Author: Ching Lam Ip, Programme & Marketing Lead, Garage Society

 

As part of our focus on growth, we asked the Garage Community what areas they would like they spend more time developing. It was very clear that you all wanted to dedicate more time to your mental and physical health! 

 

Considering that Hong Kongers have some of the longest working hours in the world, it’s important to carve out some time for yourself.

 

Here is a comprehensive wellbeing toolkit with guides, recommendations, and resources for bettering your mind and body. 

 

Cover image source: JourneyEra.com

 

1. Move Your Body

Whether you like it or not, it’s been scientifically proven time and again that exercise is a vital part of our physical and mental health. It helps with sleep, concentration, mood, and raises self-esteem. 

 

The best workout is the one that you stick to - just choose something you enjoy! It could be swimming, yoga, or even just dancing along to your favourite music videos.

 

Here are some recommendations from tried-and-true favourites:  


Hiking

  • High Junk Peak - Challenging yet rewarding hike, with a view overlooking Clearwater Bay.

  • Jardine’s Lookout - A short, convenient hike in the city that doesn’t skimp on views

  • Silvermine Waterfall - A day trip to Mui Wo that includes a short, easy walk with waterfalls and rock pools

Our Story — Verm City
Source: Verm City

Rock Climbing

  • Keep Climbing Gym - Small and tucked away - only a 5-min walk from Garage Sheung Wan!

  • Verm City - One of the first climbing gyms in the city, conveniently located in Quarry Bay

  • Tung Lung Chau - One of the most popular outdoor climbing spots in Hong Kong, with a mix of beginner-friendly and expert walls. Accessible by ferry from Sai Wan Ho or Lei Yue Mun

Neighbourhood Gyms


2. Exercise Your Mind

 

 

Take time out to do something for yourself. This could mean learning new skills, discovering a new podcast , or just taking a few minutes to practice mindfulness each day.

 

If it makes you happy, there is a chance  good chance it can help you create a sense of purpose and improve your mental wellbeing. Here are our favourite ways to learn about ourselves and the world around us: 

 

Mindfulness Apps

  • Stoic - Create a routine to check in with yourself each day, aided with their straightforward prompts. Free and premium version available on iOS

  • Tide - A minimalist app with soothing sounds that’ll help you sleep, focus, or meditate.  Available free on iOS and Android

  • Ten Percent Happier - Easy to follow guided meditation courses with an accompanying podcast! Available free on iOS and Android, with a paid membership option

Source: Garage Academy

 

Learn a New Skill

Insightful Podcasts

  • The Happiness Lab - A mix of scientific research and inspiring stories about happiness, hosted by Yale Professor Dr Laurie Santos

  • 99% Invisible - Narrative driven journalism on the designs that shape the world. A simple premise that leads to very interesting deep dives

  • Revisionist History - Hosted by author Malcolm Gladwell, this is his journey in re-examining events, ideas, and people from the past. It often doesn’t end where you think! 


Related Articles


3. Eat Well

 

Eating well is not just about choosing the lowest-calories foods. Eating well means a balanced diet that works for you, provides enough nutrients, plus tastes delicious. It's important to enjoy plenty of healthy fruits, vegetables, but also important enjoy a healthy relationship with eating.

 

Healthy neighbourhood lunch spots

Source: Barebells HK

Functional Snacks

Embrace Home Cooking

  • EATER beginner's guide - If you never cook, this is a great place to start

  • DayDayCook - A treasure trove of local home cooking recipes, with simple instructional videos that are super easy to follow along

  • Healthyish - Recipes and culture pieces that are all about being, well, healthy-ish!


4. Find Support & Be Supportive

 Crossroads Foundation
Source: Crossroads Foundation

 

Sometimes, self-care can’t fully meet our needs. Lockdown has taught us that we all crave social connection to some extent - even introverts!

 

Nurture your relationships and give back to others to build a sense of belonging, purpose, and share positive experiences. Create a support network of friends, family, and mental health professionals. 

 

Give back to the community

  • Crossroads foundation - Crossroads has been a Garage member for years. Their non-profit work focuses on redistributing goods to those in need, and they welcome volunteers of all ages and skillsets!

  • Kids4Kids - Programs that empower and inspire children to change the world. Volunteer in their ‘Powered by Service’ program, or ‘Buddy Reading’ program when it resumes. 

  • Time Auction - Time Auction connect professionals who wish to volunteer their time and talents with non-profits that need those skills.  Log your volunteer hours to turn them into “experience” rewards!
     

Professional Mental Heath Support


 

 

Garage Society helps businesses across Asia work better through WorkStyle solutions tailored for them. From entrepreneurs to large corporates, we understand the diverse ways in which people work. 

 

We focus on getting to know you and your business so we can tailor a better and smarter way for you to get work done. Since 2014, we’ve taken on a community-centric approach to empower our community through people, place and programming.

 

We all work differently, which is why each Garage workspace is unique in location, design, and community, offering spaces and experiences that fit around you.

 

Whether it’s hot desks, private offices, or custom spaces for enterprises and MNCs, we’ve got a WorkStyle solution for you.

 

Interested in a flexible workspace at Garage? Get in touch with us

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