Say what you will about New Year’s resolutions, but there’s a lot of power in fresh starts. New Year resolutions get a bad rep mostly because people put too much pressure on themselves to succeed at too many things at a time, and once the New Year’s hype has come and gone, the resolutions are left in the dust, along with the hopes and dreams we had of achieving them.

I fall prey to this a lot. I would have my brand new planner for the new year; a blank slate to start anew and become the person I envisioned in my daydreams. Wake early, meditate, work out, eat five servings of vegetables, drink three liters of water, read, floss, and sleep by 10pm being a few of the many habits I saw myself fulfilling from the moment the calendar page read Jan 1. However, the instant I failed at one of them, I despaired and thought myself a failure, then gave up the entire pursuit altogether. Sound familiar?

It took me many years and many books before I began to learn how to make habits stick, and which ones to work on first, so that others fall in place more easily. Charles Duhigg – author of the pivotal The Power Of Habit – calls it the keystone habit. For example, when you start exercising, better meal choices come much more naturally since you’ve kickstarted a healthy journey.

Another key realisation is that there is no perfect time to start a habit or make a change, so don’t wait for the stars to be in cosmic alignment or for next Monday to start working on yourself. Every new day is a fresh chance to start a new habit that helps you grow in the direction you want.

And forget about streaks! You meditated for 59 days straight then slipped up on the 60th, and now you’re back to zero. So what? Celebrate the fact that you successfully did it for a period of time, forgive yourself for falling off the wagon, then get back on and try again! Life happens. It’s not a matter of “if,” it’s a matter of “when.” Truly, the only constant is that nothing is.

With that in mind, here are three habits you could consider starting some time this year:

1. Morning Routine: You don’t have to be part of the 5am club but waking up to a clear and quiet morning can truly be life-changing. I’ll save you reading the (rather indulgent and unnecessarily lengthy book) but essentially you should start with physical activity – preferably enough to get your heart rate over 120 so you actually sweat – then do some journaling followed by reading or some form of learning. It echoes the same basics that I acquired from the Well Women Magical Morning workshop conducted by beloved Beijing expats Rebecca Archer and Hannah Northcott, though theirs is catchier and way more fun to learn about and practice. Whatever it is you choose to do in your pre-morning madness time, savour that serenity.

2. Nutrition Log: Almost everyone is dehydrated, from a sliding scale of mild to very. A simple water log app or even pen and paper will help you keep track of how much you drink. You’ll probably be surprised by how little that amount is, and in turn be encouraged to up that intake. It’s amazing how much better your body operates when well-hydrated, especially in Beijing’s dry winters. I might even suggest you go a step further and log your food intake with a simple photo app (maybe you’re already taking photos of your meals anyway!) like SHYE, aka See How You Eat. If you want to go even further, I recently had fun testing a free Water & Poop Tracker app by Zinitt , which allows me to track my bowel movements down to the minute, so you’ll never have to think twice about whether you already “went” today.

3. Photo/video diary: Let’s face it, the days go by in a blur when you’ve got kids, or a healthy social life. So it is really cool to have a straightforward visual diary of what you did last Tuesday, or where you went last summer. I’ve been on the free version of Day One for the longest time and when I’m dead tired, I just choose a photo of the day and save it with a short caption. One super handy feature is that I can tag each entry, so I can see how many times the kid fell sick in 2020 by calling up the “sick” tag. In 2022, I’m going to try the 1SE app which lets you save one second a day, and at the end of the year, you have a 6.5 minute long video of the entire year!

Do you have new habits that you’re starting this year? Share them with us in the comments below!

KEEP READING: 22 Things That Beijing Expats Are Wishing for in 2022

Images: App Store, Unsplash

I made no new year’s resolutions to get fit. It seemed useless when I have no exercise equipment, a yoga practice that went out the window after giving birth, and barely enough time to sleep as it is. When I went to my first general physical appointment in years and the doc asked, “Why don’t you exercise,” I just shrugged my shoulders and said, “Because I’m lazy?”

He didn’t buy it. Because he knows I have two young kids and run after them on a daily basis. He knows how strenuous it can be on a body to live in a city, and how utterly taxing it is to simply sit at a desk all day.

And he knows all these examples are just excuses regardless. Do I move my body more than just playing monster with the kiddos a few times a day, or walking to my DiDi or the school bus? Not really. Do I have time to exercise? Not the way I think that exercise should look. But do I have time to just move my body 30 minutes a day? Yes, I do.

That is why last week I signed up for the Well Women Fitness Challenge, the first fitness challenge I have ever signed up for, honestly. For one thing, it’s run by WellWomen Rebecca Archer and Hannah Northcutt, who are such positive beings that I enjoy being in their groups in general, and I figured if any two people could motivate me to move, they stood half a chance.

When I asked Northcutt what advice she’d give for people like me who have no fitness habits but want to start, she offered these thoughts: “It’s often been said that life is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. There’s no quick fix to being fit and healthy. It’s a way of life. Women who joined WellFitness will be in different parts of their fitness journey. Some have taken years before they post or join a challenge and some hop off and hop back on again. What I’ve seen is that those who consistently find ways of moving their bodies, commit to a program, tap into the power of community by engaging in the group, and do this consistently are those who have found long-term results.”

Well Women post a ton of great articles, including the one that I first connected to, called “Well Mind: A Magical Morning Routine.” In their Magical Morning reflections, I found a way to start my day not worrying about shoving toast or eggs in front of my kids before the school bus, or how long I could snooze before we would be late getting out the door, but Well Women offered me a strong routine that fits my mentality and makes me – dare I say it – want to wake up 15 minutes earlier than I absolutely must.

Does that mean I will now wake up even earlier to exercise or to simply move my body, as I”ve now started thinking about it? I might need to print this mantra from Archer’s article “Well Body: How to Start Exercising When You Really Hate It”:

If your mind is full of negative thoughts about exercise, you’ve only got one option. Change your thinking. We have already talked about ‘redefining your normal’ and to use simple mantra’s – such as ‘I move my body every day’.  Start thinking these thoughts as often as possible. Write them down and stick them around your house. You don’t have to make yourself think “I love exercise”, because a jump that far in your thinking when you are used to thinking the opposite, is just not realistic and you’ll never convince yourself to believe it. But to think “I move my body every day” is a much more accessible thought that you can believe. When your mind goes back to the negative thought, just correct it with your mantra.

So how does one start to change their thinking on exercise? I suggest following these instructions to sign up for the Well Women February Challenge. Don’t feel intimidated by all the conversation and women who are much further along than you are- from my few days of experience, they are incredibly encouraging to newcomers too.

The deadline for registration is Saturday, Feb 6, 2021.

KEEP READING: 4 Reasons Why Cycling in Beijing Is Way Nicer Than You Think, Even in the Winter

Photos: Hannah Northcutt, Well Women

The Archer Family – Caleb, Rebecca, Neriah, 9, Levi, 7, and Malachi, 6 – always look for ways to serve the community, whether in mobile soup kitchens, youth groups, building mobile libraries for rural communities, or community building. As educators, Rebecca and Caleb help to develop service programs in schools through both the Duke of Edinburgh International Award and the IB Service as Action programs. They believe that giving back as a family encourages gratitude for what we have and a desire to share their resources to make the world a better place.

Caleb

Giving back increases our understanding that we are in a place of privilege to be able to help others when we could easily have been born into a situation where we would be on the receiving end. It also makes us more thoughtful of how we spend our money.

Rebecca

The Clothing Auction Network has been my biggest volunteering project. It provides a community to women, raises money for charities, and promotes sustainable fashion. As part of WellWomen, we give generously in our WeChat community groups to support, encourage, and inspire people, which has been so important over the last year.

Levi, 7

I like it when we pick up rubbish because then it makes the environment very clean and healthy for all of us. We plant lots of trees so they can help to take away the pollution and make more and more plants.

Neriah, 9

I enjoy helping other people and hanging out together while we do it. It makes people happier. Sometimes hard jobs seem easier when you have a good time.

Malachi, 6

I planted lots of plants. It made me feel good because that place might not have enough trees. There were also hot dogs.

KEEP READING: Habits For Humanity: Books to Nourish Gratitude in Children

Photos: Uni You

This article appeared in the beijingkids 2020 December issue

This festive season, we get to speak to some of Beijing’s families to hear what the year 2020 has meant to them. Despite the many downs this year has dealt us all, there is always a reason to be grateful. Join us as we count down all the reasons we are grateful for the year 2020. If you wish to be featured in this series, please contact our Deputy Managing Editor at cindyjenkins@beijing-kids.com. 

For the Northcott family, after a year that ended with the loss of a close family member,  2020 held great hope and promise. But as the COVID-19 global pandemic took new and serious turns, it was clear that this would not be just another typical year for the family. Like many families who were outside of the country when China closed its borders, the Northcotts were stuck in Thailand, unable to return to their home in Beijing. Seven months, a whole lot of patience and a period of quarantine later, the long-term Beijingers finally made it back, with dad Steve Northcott and Mom Hannah Northcott returning to their positions at the  International School of Beijing (ISB) as an MS Art teacher and MS Drama teacher respectively, and their daughters Catalina and Ariella to their student life in grade 3 and kindergarten, also at ISB.

Through the WellWomen platform which Hannah Northcott co-founded, she continues to encourage positivity and self-fulfillment for expats living in Beijing. It is, therefore, no surprise that even in this difficult year, Hannah was able to guide her family through it all, one grateful moment at a time.

Beijingkids: What was your family’s initial reaction to the global pandemic?

Hannah Northcott (HN): We were in Beijing when the coronavirus first struck in Wuhan and the first dilemma we faced was, “Should we stay or should we go?”

Schools shut down and quickly moved to an e-learning platform. Trying to teach our classes and facilitate e-learning for our girls at home was hard. Then Steve’s dad, Jim, was hospitalized in February.

Steve flew to Canada just in time to spend a couple of hours with his dad before Jim Northcott passed away.

We didn’t think that when dad Jim brought us to the Toronto airport in August of 2019 that it would be the last time that the girls would hug their grandpa. We grieved from afar but we’re thankful that Steve was able to travel home and be with the family.

Steve returned to Beijing in early March then we decided to go to Thailand. For a bit…or so we thought…

Ariella (AN): Sad, because I don’t like masks and we had to go through quarantine.

Catalina (CN): I felt a little uncomfortable and scared because when COVID started we had to wear masks all the time.

BJK: What were some of your greatest concerns or sources of anxiety this year?

HN: We packed for a couple of weeks for Thailand and ended up staying for seven months.

When China closed the borders in late March, it triggered a lot of anxious thoughts like –

• When will we be able to go back home to Beijing?
• Should we stay in Thailand or fly to Canada?
• When will we get our PU? What wave will be on?
• Will we need to quarantine? How will that look like? How much will that cost?
• What will happen to our jobs? What if we lose our jobs?
• What if we’re not back by November? Will our contracts be renewed?

The wait felt excruciatingly long and the information trickled slowly; however, when we got our PU letters in September, things moved faster.

Arriving back in Beijing felt like reaching the peak of a mountain. It was an uphill battle but it feels so good to be back.

BJK: How did you as a family cope/manage the anxiety around that uncertain time?

CN: To deal with the hard things while in Thailand, my mom and dad put me in a school so I wouldn’t get bored and have to do e-learning. I met new friends and some of my classmates even spoke Chinese.

AN: In Thailand, I’m thankful that we went to a school so that we were not so bored. I’m happy that our family can be together and that we’re back in ISB with our friends.

HN: I practiced Magical Morning, a daily routine that focused and nourished my mind, strengthened my body, and managed my emotions. It helped me in such a big way that my friend, Rebecca and I had to share about it!

We hosted two 21 days of Magical Morning Mastermind sessions that connected women from around the world. We connected women virtually during a time when a lot of us felt isolated and lonely. Some women were in China and some were also displaced. It created a safe space for us to share and connect via Zoom and WeChat.

Our family also connected with China-based families at Huahin, Thailand. Most of us were teachers with young kids and we met at the beach once a week and called it #ThirstyThursday.

Having faith, connecting with family, practicing Magical Morning, and building community  – online and offline – were the four big things that helped me manage my mental health and emotions during uncertain times. It was a balance between self and community care.

BJK: What surprised you the most as a family about each other, and about the city of Beijing this year?

HN: Early in our marriage, Steve and I dreamed of having two kids because we wanted them to have each other in this transient lifestyle. That paid off during quarantine because they had each other to play with. Did they fight? Absolutely! But there were more good times than bad. We saw how resilient they were.

AN: When things got hard, I just did it.

HN: Ariella celebrated her sixth birthday in quarantine in Beijing and the hotel staff surprised her with a song, cake, and a gift. “You have the same birthday as China,” said the English speaking staff member under a hazmat suit.

Amidst the stringent protocols, underneath the PPE were kind hearts who made a girl feel special on her birthday.

BJK: What are some of the most important lessons and takeaways you have from this year?

HN: We got each other. Aside from our family, the community has been essential to help us make it through tough times. We created virtual communities in WellWomen and hosted several challenges to give them a positive focus, build healthy habits, and tap into the power of community.

Serving others and giving them something to focus on and smile about also filled my cup. This was something that a lot of other women shared with me.

Since the pandemic began, several WellWomen have hosted challenges and currently, there is an “Attitude for Gratitude” (hosted by Rebecca A) challenge that is happening so that we can flip the narrative in our minds and see the good that is happening for us and around us.

Here is a collage from our WellStyle challenges.

BJK: What are some things you believe you and your family will no longer take for granted after this year?

AN: I had a lot of time with my family and when things got super hard, I had mommy, daddy, and Catalina.

HN: It made us reflect on what matters and how we can prioritize our time for the things that will allow us to live well, love well, and be well.

BJK: What are you most grateful for in this year?

HN: As a family, we’re thankful that we spent a lot of time together, made new friends, connected with the community, and experienced a lot of personal growth.

I’m also thankful to be a part of the International School of Beijing and that we’re teaching our classes in brand new performing art spaces and that our kids can reunite with their classmates, friends, and teachers at the ISB Dual Language program.

I’m thankful for our WellWomen community and how we’ve gone through this hard thing, together.

BJK: Is there anything you will do differently in the year 2021 as a family?

HN: Yes! We won’t travel and take the risk of being stranded outside of Beijing again.

BJK: If you had to do 2020 all over again, what would you do the same, what would you change, and what lessons do you feel you will pay more attention to as a family?

HN： If we can turn back time, would we choose to leave Beijing in March?

I would still choose the same path that we took. It’s been hard but I’m thankful for the journey and how it has changed us for the better. Being back feels like a huge accomplishment, an answered prayer, and closure of a chapter in this saga but the story isn’t over yet…

We still have friends and colleagues who are still waiting to get back. On the flip side, we’re wondering when we can leave Beijing, travel, and see our families again. We’re all at different points in this journey. What matters is recognizing that everyone has faced or is going through some form of adversity.

BJK: Do you have a holiday message for other families in Beijing?

HN: This holiday season will be hard for many of us because we can’t be with family members that we often visit at this time. Our holiday celebrations will feel different. The people around the dinner table won’t be the same. There are family members that we won’t see and we’re worried we won’t be able to see again.

Some parents will be away from their children and some won’t be able to visit their elderly folks.

It sucks. It’s hard. And we’re all doing it. Together.

Whether you’ve stayed in China this year or have just gotten back, there are people with similar experiences who truly understand how you feel. Celebrate this season with friends and connect with the community…perhaps we’ll discover that family isn’t just about blood relations. There are things that bind, connect, and weave our lives together.

May this holiday give space for reflection and a celebration of overcoming hardships, pushing through difficulty, rising above challenges, and feeling the blessings and the love that is available in the here and now.

Find the WellWomen community by following WellWomen on WeChat.

KEEP READING: Gratitude Journal 2020: “It Wasn’t the Pregnancy I’d Imagined”

Photos: Courtesy of Hannah Northcott; Collage credit: Pauline’s Wardrobe

Apr 22 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and this year, there are two crises: the COVID-19 pandemic and the slowly building disaster for our climate.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19 countries around the world are enforcing social distancing, and while we can’t physically participate in group events to show our support, we live in the digital age where social media keeps us connected with the world right from our fingertips.

Here in Beijing, the founders of WellWomen invite you to join the “S.A.V.E the Earth” Earth Day challenge by completing four simple tasks.

1. SPEAK UP:

What are you fighting for — it could be for your children, for frontline communities, for safe water to drink. What compels you to act, and why are you in this fight?

Add your voice to this global demand for action with the shared hashtag #EarthDay2020 on social media.

Take action: Share Earth Day 2020 graphics, share what you’re doing or talk about the environmental cause you care about on social media.

2. ACT:

Everyone can do something. Join us on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day — Apr 22. Earthday.org will issue 24 actions for the planet that you can take now, wherever you are. Here are a few suggestions from our WellWomen collective.

Take action:

• Order a drink with no straw
• If you don’t have a reusable drink bottle, then buy one today; or if you have one go for a walk and take a photo of yourself using it
• Order/use reusable produce bags (or take a photo of you buying your groceries not using plastic bags)
• Go for a picnic using Zero Waste snacks for kids
• Repair something
• Go for a walk and pick up a bag of rubbish

3. VOTE:

Vote with your wallet. Think twice about consuming for the sake of consuming. When you are spending money, think about the people who made your goods and the environmental and social impact of your decision. Can you use a second-hand item? Do you really need it? Can you support local businesses and designers instead of the giants offering goods at low prices at the expense of our planet?

Take action: Spend your money buying something that will help you reduce your waste – a re-useable bottle, straw, produce bags if you don’t have these already. Buy produce in a Zero Waste way, visit a market and take your own bags or don’t use any bags at all.

4. EDUCATE:

The world’s first Earth Day in 1970 seized the power of education through campus-wide teach-ins to spark conversation, engage local communities and inform change. Today we can do the same thing digitally. Check out earthday.org.

Take action: We need you to share your knowledge and wisdom as well. Share an article on your social media that will educate others or educate yourself by watching a documentary on the climate situation.

• True North (2018)
• An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
• Before the Flood (2016)
• Years of Living Dangerously (2016)
• 11th Hour (2007)
• Chasing Ice (2012)
• A Beautiful Planet (2016)
• This Changes Everything
• Six Degrees Could Change the World

To take part in the WellWomen “S.A.V.E the Earth” challenge:

1. Join the Well Planet WeChat group by scanning the QR code on the poster, or by adding WeChat ID: becstarnz.
2. Add your name to the list of challengers, take a photo of yourself doing the four S.A.V.E action steps sometime between Apr 21-24, post them in the WeChat group to show us you did them.
3. Write a brief reflection on your journey to be in the draw to win a Zero Waste Starter Kit: three produce bags, one wooden dish brush, and a stainless steel straw.

Source: WellWomen, www.earthday.org
Photos: WellWomen, unsplash

Our modern lives have admittedly left the best of us frayed at the seams. Often, the success of any nature is quantified by how much we are willing to sacrifice in our own personal lives. A high toll is exacted when trying to ‘live life in the fast lane’ and it takes a global pandemic for us to pause and reevaluate, assessing all the relationships, opportunities, regrets and frustration strewn in our wake. It is these stresses, coupled with being homebound, worrying about friends and family all around the world, and making sense of an uncertain future that we all have to contend with at present.

Women and mothers are especially feeling the brunt of this emotional upheaval. As is often the case, mothers are the emotional locus of their familial unit, providing support to those in their families, without necessarily having outlets of their own through which to vent. Work, the gym and other social interactions provide a much-needed valve to release a buildup of pressure accumulated over the course of taking care of a family. However, in an age of social distancing, self-quarantining, and being marooned in foreign countries away from one’s social circle in China, what are these women and mothers left to do?

This need for women’s emotional and psychological well-being is part of the reason why WellWomen, a social platform for women in China and across the world, came to be. Founded by Rebecca Archer and Hannah Northcott, WellWomen continues to bridge the gap in these uncertain times.

We spoke to Archer and Northcott to find out what WellWomen is really about, and how they wish to continue providing support to women, mothers, and families well beyond China’s borders.

Unless specified, all answers were provided collaboratively.

Ladies, tell us a little bit about yourselves.

Rebecca: I have degrees in communication studies and education, and have a background in marketing, events, media and am now a communications consultant. I am the founder of the Clothing Auction Network and an advocate for sustainable fashion. I am here in Beijing with my husband who is the head of a private bilingual school, and have three children. We are originally from New Zealand and have lived internationally for ten years in Nigeria, Indonesia and the last six years have been in Beijing.

Hannah: I’m from the Philippines, but have lived in Michigan, New York, Vancouver (British Columbia), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and China. It’s our eighth year in Beijing. My husband, Steve Northcott and I, teach middle school Art and Drama respectively at one of the international schools in Beijing. We have two daughters. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Communication from the University of the Philippines, a Master’s degree in Education from Simon Fraser University, Canada as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar and am a master yoga instructor certified in yoga therapy, with a yoga instructor’s certification and more than 500 hours of yoga certification from H-RYT.

What was the inspiration behind the start of WellWomen?

The inspiration behind the start of WellWomen came from being surrounded by inspirational expat women who had a heart for community and personal development, and from a desire to create a multimedia platform from which these women could share and inspire others to thrive in their minds, hearts, bodies, their families and the planet.

What are some of the services/forms of information that WellWomen provides?

WellWomen provides women with the tools to thrive in their expat lives. We provide curated high-quality content to educate and empower women to journey towards the best version of themselves. We provide inspirational stories to connect people with our community and we run various WeChat groups focusing on areas such as parenting, fitness, style, home, and sustainable living.

We also have different mentors who lead different community, skill-building, and personal development challenges.

These groups connect our WellWomen community. We are a global digital village providing space for women to be open and vulnerable with each other. We share our struggles, celebrate successes, reach out for help and advice, and keep each other accountable to reach and achieve our goals.

Has the COVID-19 crisis affected how you run your blog and the information you provide to your readership?

Yes, it made our purpose clear. To give the community a safe space to process what is happening, support women through the emotional and mental roller coaster that a global pandemic provides and empower the community with tools, strategies, and techniques to cope well with this situation.

It has definitely brought a closer bond between the women in our communities as we have shared our ups and downs.

We discovered that our mental health, well-being, and relationships have been positively affected when we have a focus other than COVID-19, so we have run the following community-building challenges to give women something positive to focus on and create joyful experiences amidst a global crisis:

• 21-Day Fitness, Self-care and Nutrition challenges to ensure we’re taking care of our health, fitness, and wellbeing
• 5-Day Style challenges that got women out of their quarantine pajamas and educated them about basic style principles while boosting their mood and productivity through creative and fun outfits
• Decluttering challenges to help us calm the chaos in our home environment
• Fun-uary challenge that gave parents fun ideas to play with their kids while stuck at home
• March is for Mom that inspired us to create joyful moments where we are at

When connecting through social media and digitally with photos, videos, laughter, and tears, we feel less isolated even though we are separated by distance. For our women, like Hannah, who are overseas and unable to return home to China, these groups are a great way to remain connected.

Additionally, we have had a lot of requests to be able to share our content with the wider community, so in response, we are expanding from WeChat to build our international presence beginning with a Facebook page and our website will be launching soon: www.wellwomen.me

How do you think the COVID-19 crisis has affected the mothers and women of Beijing, both negatively and positively?

What we are seeing in our WellWomen is incredible resilience, empathy, and connection in our community.

While there have been the expected lows in mental health due to social distancing, struggles with work and childcare, lack of physical activity, anxiety over COVID-19, separation from home and families and uncertainty about when this will end, what we have witnessed in our global village is how women have found the following in WellWomen:

1. A safe space to process their experiences – both pain and joy
2. Positive challenges to focus on
3. Support, empathy, and encouragement from other women
4. Connection with amazing women who are passionate about their lives, families, communities and the world

Many of us have been forced to slow down and get back to basics. A lot of the conversation we have been having is how to find and create joy in the everyday moments at home. We have seen women needing to let go of the high expectations that we place on others and ourselves and accept ourselves as we are – messy, beautiful and loved.

What has your biggest accomplishment in WellWomen been so far?

We have transformed lives, have positively impacted families and built a strong community where women have thrived, no matter the circumstances.

For example, in our fitness group, women have shared how they have gone from feeling depressed about their lives and bodies to finding an exercise program where they have not only lost weight and inches but have discovered how strong they are and have now become mentors in inspiring, empowering and encouraging others.

We empower women to journey from feeling unloved, unknown and insecure to finding their voices, making peace with their bodies and being confident to share authentically about themselves with others. We have also created opportunities for ladies to grow in their leadership and mentorship skills.

When one woman is inspired by one of our messages and implements it to bring a positive change in her life, then we’ve reached our goal.

Plus, as they say, happy wives, happy lives.

Do you receive any sort of community engagement and feedback? If so, what sort?

We receive a high level of community engagement. Our articles receive a high proportion of views for our follower numbers which is really encouraging. We also receive personal messages often from women who express their gratitude for the content we are sharing, and how being a part of a community for the various “challenges” have had a positive impact on them during this challenging time.

We have several articles that share how women have benefited from being a part of the WellWomen community.

What does the future look like for WellWomen and for you personally? Any ambitions or goals you have in mind?

We will continue to bring relevant, inspirational, useful content to our community while reaching out into the broader global community of expat women with online and offline events.

What can the rest of the Beijing population do to continue engaging and supporting each other through and beyond the COVID-19 crisis?

Rebecca: Now that the weather is warming up, get outside more and connect with your neighbors. As expats, we need to continue supporting our local community by being sensible with physical distancing and wearing masks.  I’m passionate about supporting local businesses because this has been and continues to be an extremely difficult time for them. Check-in with your family and friends often and regularly to make sure they are doing okay.

Hannah: Our family is currently in Thailand waiting for China to lift the travel ban so we can come home. There is a different kind of struggle being away from Beijing. Although we are thankful to be in a beautiful place, have job security, are working remotely and are with our family, we’re also battling with the uncertainty. For instance, “When will we be allowed to return to Beijing?” “What will quarantine look like when we do?” “When will that be?”

Whether one is displaced or in China, here are some things that have helped us both cope during this pandemic:

• Practice Magical Mornings
• Connect deeply and meaningfully with others. Loneliness and isolation can be countered by reaching out to a friend, messaging in one of our communities, zooming with family members, WeChat calling friends, etc.
• Move your bodies, exercise, yoga, walking or running outside, etc.
• Curate your media and be mindful of the narratives that you are telling yourself at this time
• Find and create joyful moments wherever you are. We can carry joy and pain at the same time. That’s what makes us humans. We can acknowledge the sadness, despair, and death happening all around us, but at the same time fight for joy.

How can partners and spouses provide some much-needed support to Beijing moms and women in general?

Rebecca: There’s a model for well-being which I’ve found really helpful to ensuring that I stay balanced, the four areas are body (health & well-being), achievement (activity & work), contact (social interaction & connection), and meaning (future & control). When one of these areas gets out of balance, we can experience stress. Talking and connecting with our partners about our needs and giving each other the space and opportunity to focus on these different areas can really be helpful in ensuring we have a healthy balance in our lives.

Hannah: It’s so important for partners and spouses to find their way of working together at this time because for those of us who are in a lockdown or quarantining for an indefinite period of time, our family is all we’ve got.

I also wonder what if we flip the question and ask:

“How can we show-up, be present and provide what our partner needs, as well?”

Any words of hope and encouragement to the Women of Beijing and the rest of the vast Beijinger family, both foreign and local?

We don’t need to just be in a state of surviving during this time, we have everything we need inside us to thrive. None of us knows how long this is going to go on for, so if we can accept the ways things are, then we can start creating our beautiful new “normal” lives together.

We’re all in this together. This is a shared human experience and we will need one another to get through to the other side.

Where can we find your blog and how can we contact you?

WeChatID: WellWomen, Facebook: WellWomen.me, Website: www.wellwomen.me (launching soon)

Rebecca: becstarnz

Hannah: Hannah_Northcott, www.dramayogi.com, Instagram: @dramayogi

Photos: Courtesy of WellWomen