The Power of Our Names

There’s been an ongoing bitter feeling about my surname — maybe it’s too short or simple? The way it’s not “conventional?” The way that I’m always at the end of the line when placed alphabetically, even when I usually like to be in front? Or maybe it’s that I never felt like my surname belonged with my first. 

Meet Jennifer!

Hey, everyone! My name is Jennifer Vu, and I am the Director of Writing at Magnify Wellness. Thank you for being here! I’ll be sharing the stories that have shaped me into the person I am today and my journey thus far at Magnify Wellness.

TW: discussions of sexual harassment, Asian fetishization, and self-harm.

On the morning of February 17th, 2021, I was in an online class talking to my peers, in an individual breakout room we were assigned to. Suddenly, something struck my body — a voice filling up my mind. At this point, I relived an exact moment: what he had done on a FaceTime call three months before. All felt distant, except for this palpable memory. I was not who I am anymore. The only thing I could see was my 14-year-old self on FaceTime, the only thing I could feel was his eyes, staring at my body without a blink, and the only thing I could hear was his voice, constantly annoying me with statements about how good my body looked and making fetishizing remarks about the “fragility” of Asian girls.

The Productivity Obsession

Productivity keeps us moving toward finishing our work and motivates us to work harder to check off the bullets on our to-do list. Soon, it rewards us with the feeling that we need to work more to gain something, whether that would be a raise, becoming valedictorian, a Division I scholarship, or recognition from an important figure in our lives. Productivity brings us to our goals much more efficiently.

“Productivity Obsession,” also known as hyper-productivity, workaholicism, or overwork, describes how someone can be addicted to working and feeling productive. It’s an oxymoron derived from the need to micromanage every aspect of one’s life. The issue can be concealed extremely well and depends on many factors, but it all starts with one’s attachment and identity dependency on a job. 

Does Money Buy Us Happiness?

While it may be odd to contemplate that compulsively spending money has anything to do with mental health, retail therapy — often classified as a euphemism for this coping method — is widely popular in the world of mental wellness. Spending money and material objects could be the result of short-term fulfillment, but does money actually buy us happiness?

Going Back Online

On January 3rd, 2022, the United States reported one million COVID cases and two and a half million cases worldwide daily. With it being almost two years since the start of quarantine, and the addition of extra measures to prevent the spread (vaccines, double-masking), many are ready to shift back to old lifestyles. The holidays lately have connected families, and with the reopening of many services, there is a substantially higher chance of the spread of COVID. Now that travel restrictions have loosened and simply others feeling more comfortable with large crowds of people, COVID has surged, once again — except now, this boom is now affecting schools and universities, extremely similar to the closure of March 13th, 2020.

Journaling in Code

Growing up, all I was obligated to do was be interested in maths and sciences, but something appealed to me and stayed in the back of my mind — writing every letter of my thoughts out. I didn’t start writing until the beginning of this year, but ever since I started, there’s not a single thing I can think of that makes writing boring. 

The Dress Code

Through distance learning, there are a few school rules that most of us have forgotten about, and now, returning to school, they’re enforced once again. One of the rules I hope to discuss is the dress code — a series of rules on what is deemed acceptable attire in a school or office environment.

Quarantine has opened up a portal for understanding mental health and social issues around the globe, especially on social media. Working or learning from home has given us the extra free time to comprehend these issues thoroughly. Now, with mandates being released and schools opening back up, we often expect our environments to adapt to social progression. The problem with the dress code has been briefly discussed, but not enough for the majority of schools to address the situation.

One Year Ago, Today

I woke up last week checking Snapchat with the Memories notification. “Memories last year” caught my interest. It was a video of my friends dying my hair purple. The bittersweet feeling of small anniversaries, either from happy experiences or a traumatic event, has moved me along my path of growth. Often, out of nostalgia, I’ll try to find something throughout the day that reminds me of that moment or listen to a playlist from that time. Our memories make us who we are, and when the one-year mark comes, we’ll notice the ways we’ve grown.

Roundtables #36 — National Family Day is this week! What ways have the people in your family supported and influenced your mental health journey? Reflect on what you have learned about mental health through your family’s help.

Jennifer Vu: Typically, families are there to support you — no matter what mishap you go through, no matter the struggles you experience, and no matter the circumstances that cause you to fall apart. I don’t just mean family by blood — I also want to include those who I am not related to, yet who I call my family. We are heavily influenced by the surroundings we grew up in and those around us, therefore our mental health is also influenced by these different areas of our lives as well. 

Roundtables #35 — September is Suicide Prevention Month! Reflect on what you’ve learned about mental health and suicide prevention. Share how you will support others’ mental health, and your own, to continue advocating beyond this month.

Jennifer Vu: As September comes to a close, it’s important for all of us to know how suicide prevention can go a long way when it comes to our mental health and others’ as well. This tragedy affects many people of the world, and we must dive into ways we can support those who are affected to advocate for suicide prevention, even beyond September.