It's Time For Recess

Take me back to the good old days when laughter, fun and games at recess were everyday gifts. I am joined with my childhood friends, RJ Guatlo, Kwame Jampoh and Sherlyn Lima on a trip down memory lane. We share our favourite childhood memories and reflect on how we've changed over the years, but also how we've remained exactly the same. We also look back at our dream careers as a kid and how our environment growing up shaped our perspectives on diversity, sustainability and more! It's, literally, Time For Recess!   

2020 was a crazy year that put to the test our ability to be resilient in the face of new challenges and new expectations. That's why it is more important than ever to keep our mental health in check, especially as we are spending more time isolated at home with fewer in-person social connection. 

Part 3 is all about mental wellness, as Joanna, Victor, Brielle and I each share our own practical steps and actions for coping with challenges and refocusing our energy on what's important to us. Essentialism, mindfulness, and self-care check-ins are just some of the wellness practices we discuss. Finally, we reflect on our key takeaways and mindset shifts that helped us keep our mental health in check. 

Thank you for tuning in to It's Time For Recess and for your support throughout 2020. Wishing you a happy new year and all the best in 2021!

Mental wellness - it's all about setting the right intention, saying "no" to something so that we have the capacity to say "yes" to our mental health. In Part 2, I continue my conversation with Joanna Zhao, Victor Tang and Brielle Man to discuss how things like toxic masculinity and the traditional expectations in Asian culture may be impacting mental well-being as we are growing up. We also look at barriers to mental wellness, whether it be financial, social or systemic barriers, but we also explore how we might even be creating barriers for ourselves. 

But how are you doing... really? Beneath the surface, people may be struggling with their mental health and we may never even know about it. Just like physical health, we should be intentional in our actions in caring for and improving our mental health, and it begins with an open conversation. Let's talk about mental health and wellness with our guests, Joanna Zhao, Victor Tang and Brielle Man! In part 1, we discuss the rise in mental health awareness and advocacy in the past decade and share our personal journeys with mental health issues. We also reflect back on those experiences and process our feelings and thoughts during the time, a critical step in improving our mental health.  

Bob Elton is a former CEO at BC Hydro and current Professor of COMM 483, a leadership capstone course at UBC Sauder. In my conversation with Bob, he reflects on some major moments during his time as CEO that have changed or impacted his leadership values and priorities, and shares examples of how his values have guided him in the face of difficult situations. As an introvert himself, he also shares his perspectives on the strengths that introverted leaders can bring to teams. With regards to his teaching experience, we talk about how he applied his philosophy of values-based leadership into how the class is run. We also discuss how student cohorts have changed over the years that he has taught the course, and how that may reflect the changing environment and attitudes in society. Finally, Bob shares some key advice for future leaders as we navigate this changing world.

We often think about leaders as people with important positions in society, but everyday leaders can be found everywhere around us. In Part 2, I chat with Jorge, Gaby, Renato and Rolland to explore the role of diversity and global perspectives in group discussions and leadership, and how our upbringing and unique backgrounds shape our opinions and biases. We also discuss our key takeaways from COMM 483 in terms of how the diversity of perspectives we have been exposed to in the class have changed our own perspectives on life and leadership. 

We often think about leaders as people with important positions in society, but everyday leaders can be found everywhere around us. They are positive influences in our lives and make us feel heard and valued. I reconnect with Jorge, Gaby, Renato and Rolland, my friends and students from COMM 483, a leadership capstone course at UBC Sauder. And in Part 1, we re-live our favourite and most impactful moments from the class, as well as share stories of everyday leadership in action within these moments. 

University is filled with new adventures, new setbacks and new lessons. Join a bunch of fifth year students who are our guests, Karan Bharati, Takeshi Kimura, and Vittorio Chiu, as we reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly of our university experiences! In Part 3, we talk about hussle culture and "the Sauder mold", as well as reflect back on what we've learned throughout our time at university. We also share some pieces of advice for other students out there!

University is filled with new adventures, new setbacks and new lessons. Join a bunch of fifth year students who are our guests, Karan Bharati, Takeshi Kimura, and Vittorio Chiu, as we reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly of our university experiences! In Part 2, we talk about our experiences with clubs and the challenges we faced when finding our first internships. We also give our thoughts on the new Instagram page @sauderunspoken, which highlights student experiences with discrimination and harassment.

University is filled with new adventures, new setbacks and new lessons. Join a bunch of fifth year students who are our guests, Karan Bharati, Takeshi Kimura, and Vittorio Chiu, as we reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly of our university experiences! In Part 1, we talk about our first year experience, how we dealt with the transition into university, and some of our favourite moments from student life at UBC.

Where do we turn to for help and guidance when there is no history of experiences or past precedents to look back on to help us find a way forward? In Part 2, Amanda Tran, Stefan Chiu and I discuss how we pivoted our career and life goals, and share our thoughts on the potential flaws in our education system or societal expectations. We also discuss the limitations of the traditional way of thinking about success and education, and how we can draw our own map instead.

Where do we turn to for help and guidance when there is no history of experiences or past precedents to look back on to help us find a way forward through adversity and uncertainty? Let's talk about navigating uncharted territory with our guests, Amanda Tran and Stefan Chiu! In Part 1, we discuss our journey of starting Amplify, a community organization, from ground zero, and what made up our compass and support system as we navigated the many challenges along the way.

Whether it’s a new chapter of your life, a new project, a new job, or a new friendship, navigating the uncertainty of starting something new can be challenging and come with lots of anxiety, but it can also be a really exciting journey. You’ll learn a lot about yourself and the world, and have fun along the way! In Part 2, Meg Kuang, Nathan Yu, Vanessa Sun and I continue our conversation but change tones a bit, from reminiscing about our past experiences in Enactus UBC to talking about our future and navigating our transition into the next chapter of our lives after graduation.

Whether it’s a new chapter of your life, a new project, a new job, or a new friendship, navigating the uncertainty of starting something new can be challenging and filled with anxiety, but it can also be an exciting journey. You’ll learn a lot about yourself and the world, and have fun along the way! Let’s talk about dealing with the “new” with our guests, Meg Kuang, Vanessa Sun, and Nathan Yu! In Part 1, we discuss starting our pivotal journey of getting involved with Enactus UBC and starting our new friendship, and how these experiences helped propel us into the next chapter of our lives.

Welcome to It’s Time For Recess! In this introductory episode, learn what this podcast is about, what you can expect, who I am, and how this podcast came to be.