Be the expert of your own wellness

In June, we gave a seminar to a group of business executives on “managerial
wellness and productivity”. Conrad told his story of sports injury over a decade
ago which left him unable to bear heavy objects due to pain in the lower back. After all these years, it had improved a lot, without causing too much adverse effects on daily life. However, as his kids grew bigger and heavier, he could not hold them in his arms at the same time since about 6 months ago. Thus, he had fresh incentive to become healthier. He did quite a few Touch for Health balances since. Recently, his lower back improved to the degree that he could do this again, without pain in his back.

He told this story to illustrate that people need a clear goal and benefit before they are motivated to improve their wellness. To his surprise, a male executive in his 50s said, “You just felt you’re able to hold your kids without a doctor’s confirmation. That’s not scientific!” Whether the content is correct or not is beside the point here. We just want to comment that this is a common concept of wellness in Hong Hong executives: 1) I myself do not have the final say in my own wellness, but must be confirmed by certain authority; 2) Sensations are unreliable. Only scientific results are.

Our opinion is that only you are your own expert. You are well or not is your own decision. All judgments from any authority can only be references, not final conclusion. Besides, you must trust your own sensations. Ultimately, everybody relies on sensations to make sense of the external world. 