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Stress in the City: Playing My Way Out Of Depression

Stress in the City: Playing My Way Out Of Depression

> Enoch Li 李以諾 (BSocSc(Govt&Laws) 2003; LLB 2004)

> Trigger Publishing

 

 


The purpose of this book is to foster the pursuit of literature and science for people around the world. The book attempts to narrate the struggles endured by the Laureates, the immense joy and awards garnered once their dreams became reality, and the momentous benefits that they brought to humankind. By chronicling what the Laureates went through in order to win the prestigious awards, the book inspires youth to emulate them in the hope that they too might become Laureates one day.

 

Her personal story:
After graduating from HKU, I joined HSBC as an International Manager, and worked in the London, Paris, Tokyo, and Beijing offices with various roles in management, business development, and learning and training. By my 28th birthday, I had achieved everything I had ever laboured toward. My mum was proud of me, I had a supportive partner, and lots of friends adored me.

 

However, I felt as though something was missing. In 2009, I met with illness and clinical depression. One could hardly imagine a young woman like me  -- who travelled the world, worked and lived in multiple cities, rocketed up the corporate ladder -- would one day crumble to pieces. I was so hopeless and devastated, and believed life was no longer worth living.

 

Due to my personal experience with burnout and depression, I have re-engineered my working identity and have set up my own business, BEARAPY (a term coined by me, which means “Bear Therapy”. In Chinese: 小熊創意法). BEARAPY aims to use playfulness and the strength of our inner child to promote emotional and mental well-being for individuals. and to help prevent workplace burnout and offer mental health training to companies.

 

Last year, I published a book, Stress in the City: Playing My Way Out of Depression, which centres around the topics of mental health, depression, company culture, inner playfulness for mental health, and emotional awareness. I reveals experiences at the top of the corporate game, reflects on the warning signs that I refused to see, and documents my journey back from the edge through the rediscovery of my inner child.

 

I hope people with the same upbringing may be able to relate to the story.