My Wellbeing Lab successfully conducted its first public talk and  mini-lab session on the critical topic of burnout last Saturday afternoon in Damansara  Perdana, Petaling Jaya. The event, entitled Burnout: The Other Pandemic, held in partnership  with AWEK Movement and Kelab Sukan Rekreasi COUGARS, attracted diverse professionals  around the Klang Valley, including expatriates from Ghana, Portugal, and Vietnam. 

The session featured three distinguished speakers who addressed various aspects of  burnout: 

1. Jason Leong, CEO of BETTERMIND Sdn Bhd and co-founder of Better Dads Malaysia,  focused on parental burnout, with particular emphasis on its effects among fathers.  Leong highlighted that “fathers often face unique pressures that can lead to burnout,  impacting both their personal well-being and family dynamics.” 
2. Aruna Santhappan, a sports psychologist for the Perak State Sports Council,  discussed burnout symptoms and shared practical stress management techniques.  She emphasized the importance of recognizing early warning signs, stating,  “Awareness is the first step in preventing burnout.” 
3. Dr Asma Abdullah, a seasoned corporate anthropologist and trainer with extensive  experience in cross-cultural management, led an interactive mini-lab that encouraged  attendees to engage with the material and share their experiences. 

The mini-lab session was particularly well-received. Participant Nonie Nasir commented,  “The approach and structure of the mini-lab was very compelling, and allowed me to view the  issue comprehensively, from what burnout is, who can be affected by it directly and  indirectly, why the issue is so important, and finally the ways in which we can address this  collectively as well as individually.” 

Noorhaina Mohd Noor, founder of My Wellbeing Lab, chose burnout as the inaugural topic  based on her personal experience and observations following the COVID-19 pandemic.  “There is significant increase in public interest towards mental health and well-being,” Noorhaina stated. “At the same time, the research community is recognizing the WEIRD  problem in social science and psychology research, which often overlooks non-Western  perspectives and models. Our goal is to create access to locally relevant, science-based  information on well-being, particularly mental health in Malaysian society.”

My Wellbeing Lab aims to address these issues through a platform for contextual science  communication and making science-based knowledge and tools on mental health and well being more accessible to the general public. 

The organization plans to continue its efforts with monthly sessions on the first Saturday of  each month. The next session will focus on “Mental Health in a Hyper-Connected Age,” exploring the impact of digital connectivity on well-being across different segments of the  population. 

Those interested in attending future talks can follow @mywellbeinglab on Instagram for  updates. 

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